


The Whitethorn Hearth

by Gates_of_Ember



Series: PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU [9]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-10-23 04:28:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17676443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gates_of_Ember/pseuds/Gates_of_Ember
Summary: The long-awaited celebration of Prince Nico’s wedding to William of Solace has finally arrived.  Between all the wedding duties, keeping Octavian as far from the royal family as possible, and dealing with the occasional fiasco, the grooms still manage to find plenty of time to themselves.  But as they enter the new chapter of their life, they will encounter new challenges.  Will must say goodbye to his family and move to a new home.  Nico remains unpopular among his own people and sometimes still struggles to express himself to his husband-to-be.  And what will happen between Nico’s guard and the pretty maid who works for Will’s family?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I chose not to tag underage drinking because I didn’t feel that it was necessary, but here’s a heads up if 18-year-olds having wine bothers you.  
> If you would prefer not to read the most mature content, skip chapter 3. Probably chapter 5, as well.

The Palatium de Divitae looked more beautiful than Will had ever seen it before.  The Hall of Gold had been newly polished, the painted ceilings restored to their former glory, and the morning sun streamed through the windows to bathe the marble halls in bright light.  Will imagined that he was seeing the palace as it was meant to be viewed — the way it must have looked in the days of Pluto’s wealth, before Pluto’s economic downfall.  Even the court and the servants seemed more alive than usual.  Jules-Albert was impassive as ever, but Will could have sworn that he’d witnessed King Hades smile.

It was strange to see his family in the Palatium de Divitae.  Will had visited Nico enough times to feel comfortable there, but watching his family interact with Nico’s made him nervous.  They had been in Pluto for a few weeks already to assist with preparations; as a part of Will’s dowry, Apollo had offered to pay for most of the expenses of the wedding.  Nearly every day, Will, Apollo, and Daphne had met with Nico, Hades, Persephone, and Reyna to discuss the wedding or something to do with Will’s dowry, the cattle in particular.  To Will’s relief, his family hadn’t embarrassed him much so far.  Daphne had been on her best behavior.  Will hadn’t worried much about Austin, as Austin was generally quiet around strangers.  Had Hyacinth been there, Apollo probably would have been too busy ogling over him to woo anyone else, but as it was, he seemed too gloomy missing him to do much more than half-heartedly flirt with one or two maids and a stableboy.  Surprisingly, even Lou Ellen and Will’s older brothers hadn’t caused much trouble, but that was probably due to the fact that they were usually too busy trying to control Octavian.

As ashamed as he was to admit it, Will would have preferred it if Octavian hadn’t come to the wedding at all.  In fact, Will’s family had been plotting how to leave Octavian behind.  Their original plan had been to leave Diana while Octavian was away at his own private estate, but Octavian had foiled that idea when he decided to visit the Sun Palace unannounced just before they left.  In a desperate attempt to get rid of him, Apollo had even offered to leave Octavian in charge of the Sun Palace while they were away.  Obviously, Octavian wouldn’t have _really_ been in charge — that privilege had been granted to Hyacinth, who was far more responsible and trustworthy — but Apollo had hoped that the bribe would be enough to get rid of him.  Although Octavian had considered the proposal, even that had failed.  To the entire family’s dismay, they were soon on the road to Pluto with Octavian and no Hyacinth.

Surprisingly, however, Octavian hadn’t caused much trouble since their arrival in Divitia.  Will’s family had done everything in their power to keep him under control.  They had maintained a strict schedule for Octavian Duty to ensure that he had no contact with any members of the Plutonian Royal Family — particularly not Will’s husband-to-be.  Octavian had expressed his interest in the Prince on multiple occasions and the family had agreed to keep him away from Nico at all costs.  Will has even privately informed Reyna of the situation and enlisted her assistance.  In one attempt to dodge an escaped Octavian, Will had impulsively pulled Nico through the first door he could find, which happened to be a storage room.  Fortunately, Nico hadn’t minded, but he misinterpreted Will’s intentions and wasted no time engaging him in a heated session of kisses.  In the end, they successfully avoided Octavian, so Will found that turn of events to be both pleasant and effective.

However, Will’s family had been so preoccupied with keeping Octavian under control that they forgot to monitor Kayla.  Hazel, although a few years older than Kayla, had been excited to meet another girl somewhat close to her age and immediately tried to be her friend.  The two had gotten along well until one afternoon when Chiron left them unattended for a half hour, only to return to discover that Kayla had somehow managed to destroy three of Hazel’s dolls.  Kayla could not comprehend what she had done wrong, but after much intervention, Chiron eventually managed to force a polite but insincere apology out of her.  Although Hazel and Kayla had tentatively tried to continue their friendship, Hazel no longer allowed Kayla to touch her belongings and appeared to prefer spending time in her music room with Austin.

Altogether, Will’s family had been reasonably well-behaved.  True, there had been a few mishaps, and yes, Will would have gladly traded Octavian for Hyacinth, but in the end, Will doubted anything could have taken away from his elation.  After all, it was the first day of his wedding celebrations and Will was marrying someone he loved.

Will walked briskly down the corridor with a song in his head and a spring in his step.  Nico had invited him to have breakfast in his chambers that morning before they left to visit the temples.  His _new_ chambers, that was — Nico had shared with his sister before, but had moved into a new set of apartments in the weeks leading up to the wedding.  After they married, Will and Nico would share that suite of apartments and live in adjacent bedrooms.

Will found Nico’s guard standing at the entrance to Nico’s chambers, looking as displeased as usual.  “Good morning, Hedge,” he said brightly.

Hedge scowled at him and opened the door without answering.  His sourness did nothing to dampen Will’s mood, especially not when Nico suddenly flew through the doorway into his arms, nearly knocking Will off his feet.  Hedge grumbled unhappily to himself when Nico kissed Will, but they ignored him in favor of kissing a few more times.

Reyna drew their attention when she sighed audibly from inside the room.  “You’re acting like you haven’t seen each other for months, Your Highness,” she said.  “You have been separated for ten hours at most.”

“Hush, Reyna, don’t spoil my wedding,” Nico said, but he took Will’s hand to lead him inside.  Hedge joined them inside the room like he wanted to keep an eye on Will’s behavior.  Will wasn’t concerned.  Over time, Hedge had proved to be relatively harmless.  Although Hedge would never admit to it, Will even suspected that Hedge was starting to like him.

Hedge contented himself to glaring at Will for a while, but he voiced his disapproval shortly after Will and Nico were served breakfast.  “I still think the wedding ought to be postponed,” Hedge said.  “His Highness is far too young to marry.”

Nico raised an eyebrow.  “I am of age, am I not?”

“You are still too young!”

Nico hummed and turned to look at Will with a spark of heat in his eyes that made Will blush.  “Perhaps so, but I’m far too impatient to wait any longer.”

Reyna clucked her tongue.  “The entire Plutonian Court is too impatient to wait any longer.  Hedge may be the only person in the palace who isn’t desperate to see you married.”

Nico’s expression turned sheepish.  He cleared his throat like he was trying to get Reyna’s attention, but she ignored him.

“I, for one, am anxious to see you married because it means I will no longer have to chaperone you,” she said.  “The rest of the Plutonian Court wants you to secure this marriage out of fear that your engagement will end the same way as all your other attempts at courting.”

“Those suitors would have all made terrible partners,” Hedge interrupted.  “None of them were good enough for His Highness.”

Once again, Nico cleared his throat, this time with a pointed glare in Reyna’s direction.  Will had known that Nico had seen other marriage candidates before their engagement, but they hadn’t discussed their previous suitors.  Judging from Nico’s sudden shift in demeanor, there appeared to be an interesting story.  “What is this about His Highness’ other attempts at courting?” Will asked.

“Every marriage interview His Highness had before yours ended in disaster.  He once told a suitor that he had the face of a toad and the voice of a squealing hog.”

“Reyna!” Nico objected, but Will laughed.

The lines of Reyna’s face remained as cold and hard as steel.  “Your Highness, if you are to marry this man, it would be unwise to keep secrets from him,” she said.

“Ridiculous.  You just enjoy embarrassing me!”

Reyna nodded sagely.  “Yes.  I never denied that.  As I was saying, His Highness was _awful._  Another time, he—”

“That was a long time ago,” Nico interrupted.

“Not so long ago,” said Reyna.  “But you, Lord William, were the first suitor that lasted longer than a few days.”

Will had heard about Nico’s poor reputation, but he’d never witnessed anything to support it.  Nico had been quiet at first, perhaps even cold, and his temper could be short, but he was never cruel.  He had certainly never done anything akin to comparing Will’s face to that of a toad.

“He was terrified to meet you,” Reyna said.  “He _begged_ me not to leave the two of you alone together.”

Will frowned.  Terrified?  If anything, Nico had seemed indifferent at the time.  “What did he think I would do?”

“I wasn’t afraid of _you_ doing something; I was afraid that _I_ would,” Nico snapped.  “As Reyna has so plainly described, I had a talent for insulting suitors.  I didn’t...I don’t know how to talk to people.  Reyna stops me from doing things I’ll regret later.”

“I try, at least,” Reyna interjected.

“I wanted it to go well.  I needed to find a husband, I was afraid of disappointing the Matestra, and you...you were....”  Nico stopped and turned to Reyna like he needed her help.

“Only a few days after meeting you, he told me that he found you ‘tolerable,’ or something of that nature,” Reyna said.  “It was the kindest thing he’d ever said about a suitor.”

Will started to laugh, but then Nico said, “You smiled at me.  No one had ever smiled at me the way you did.”

Will’s amusement melted into a familiar surge of affection and he reached out to cup Nico’s cheek in his hand.  “Of course I smiled,” he said.  “You were my first love.”  Nico raised his eyes and smiled, and there was a moment of blissful silence before—

“You have been after the Prince’s virtue since he was a _child?”_ Hedge roared.

“Oh, calm down, Hedge,” Nico said.  “Will was a child, too.”

“Then he has been trouble his entire life!”

Will sighed.  Hedge had voiced his objections so frequently since Will’s arrival in Divitia that arguments about Will’s suitability were nearly a daily routine.  Reyna had told Will not to take it to heart, but Hedge’s rants were becoming annoying.

“Will has been the perfect gentleman,” Nico said impatiently.  “I doubt he has ever caused anyone trouble.”

“I think Hedge is only reacting this way because he doesn’t like seeing you grow up so quickly,” Reyna said.

“Preposterous!” Hedge objected.

“Deny it all you want, Hedge; we know it’s true,” said Reyna.  She didn’t bother to answer when he sputtered indignantly.  “But enough jokes.  Let’s discuss today’s schedule.”  She shuffled through her papers and started to read off the day’s tasks — libations in the temples, honoring their ancestors at the royal mausoleum, that evening’s banquet and who they were going to greet, and the lighting of the wedding hearth....

Beside Will, Nico sighed.  “This is already so tiresome,” he mumbled so that only Will could hear.  Will gave him a reassuring smile and kissed his cheek to comfort him.

A moment later, when Reyna finally noticed they were no longer listening, she looked up and found them staring at each other and sitting so closely that they were practically glued together, their fingers linked while Nico played with Will’s hair.  “Pay attention,” she ordered sharply.  Will tore his eyes away from Nico’s and they listened to her obediently for awhile, but then Nico’s arm snaked around his shoulders and Will found himself distracted once more.

*  *  *

Nico and Will had poured offerings of grain and honey at the altar dedicated to Gaea, the earth mother, giver of gifts and patron of Pluto.  At the temple of Aeon, the god of eternity, they had given libations of grain and wine as they prayed for longevity, a lasting bond, and for the blessings of the Morai in his train.  

Nico was no stranger to such rituals.  As Pluto’s prince, he was expected to give regular offerings to the gods to pray for the protection and wellbeing of his people.  So why was it that he felt so feverish?  Why was his gut churning and tying itself in knots?  Why did hands and voice shake as he poured the offerings and recited the hymns?  Will looked concerned, but did not draw attention in front of the couriers who had followed them to the temples bearing the supplies needed for libations.

Nico couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so nervous — not even the worry prior his wedding interview or the restless excitement before his first kiss could compare.  His night had been nearly sleepless and he’d felt jittery since that morning.  He wasn’t afraid, exactly, but all his anticipation and eagerness had built up inside him until his body was overflowing with tension.

After paying respects to the gods, they returned to the palace grounds to perform the ceremony for honoring Nico’s ancestors.  The royal mausoleum was almost entirely black from the floor to the vaulted ceiling.  A round stone altar sat at the middle of the entrance room, and in its center was a deep earthen pit where libations in honor of the dead were poured.  Tradition dictated that offerings to the dead were given to the earth so that the earth mother’s servants would bring the gifts to Erebos.  The surrounding walls were lined with the names of the venerated dead engraved on golden plates.  Something about the tomb — the way sound vibrated off the marble walls and floors, the cool air, the dark atmosphere, or maybe a sense of reverence — made one feel that they had to be quiet.

While the servants arranged a the offerings on the altar, Nico examined the golden plates on the walls.  His eyes danced over the names of ancient kings and queens, honored members of the court, and beloved members of the royal family.  He had memorized their names and their stories — the prince who had been killed at the hand of a Scatinavian invader, the queen who had been lost in childbirth and her stillborn baby.  Plutons revered their dead even more than the other Romanus.  Nico felt he owed it to his ancestors to remember them.

Finally, Nico stopped in front of Bianca’s name.  He waited for the servants to light the incense and leave Nico and Will to complete the ceremony alone before he reached out to touch her nameplate.  Nico had always felt uncomfortable knowing that her body had not been cremated and her ashes were not housed in the mausoleum.  Her remains ought to be among those of the rest of the royal family, but instead, her body had been buried in a mass grave of plague victims outside of Venadica.  He understood why, of course; in the days of the Scarlet Delirium, hundreds of Plutons had died every day.  The healers feared the disease could become airborne if the bodies were burned, or would infest the crops or water supply if they were buried to close to towns or farms.  The safest way to dispose of the bodies, they had concluded, was to bury them far away.  There had been proper burial rites, but Bianca’s body could not be returned to the royal family for fear of it bringing the disease back into the palace.

Nico heard Will’s footsteps approach and stop just behind him.  Will whispered, “Your voice can still reach her.”

“I can only hope,” Nico answered.  “But even if it doesn’t....”

While in Venadica that summer, Nico and Will had gone to the monument honoring the victims of the Scarlet Delirium who had died under the care of the healers there.  It was outside the city on a hill marking the location of the mass graves.  Even though over a decade had passed, the grass still hadn’t grown back properly.  There, Nico and Will had performed the ritual ceremony to the dead and had asked Bianca to bless their marriage.  Even if Bianca could not hear them from Divitia, she had heard them then.

Will fixed a stray lock of Nico’s hair, then ran his knuckles over Nico’s cheekbones.  The touch soothed Nico and the knots in his stomach loosened.  “I prayed to my grandmother at the family tomb before I left Diana,” Will said.  “I asked for her blessing, too.”

Nico nodded.  He was glad; he didn’t like that he and Will wouldn’t be able to visit Will’s ancestors before their wedding, but knowing that Will had gone on his own calmed him.

Nico’s fingers slid to the name beside Bianca’s.  “Maria,” he read.  “She was my governess.  I have told you about her.”

“She must have been very loved by the royal family to have earned a place in your mausoleum.”

Persephone had always assured Nico that Maria had been dear to them, but Nico had never spoken to Hades about Maria.  They danced around the topic like her name was taboo.  Once, it had infuriated Nico, but over time, as Nico’s anger had cooled, he had grown to assume that Hades simply had a difficult time talking about it.

Still, Nico felt uncertain.  Did Bianca know that Lady Maria had been their birth mother?  Had she discovered the family secret in Erebos?  And what about Nico’s ancestors?  Did they approve Maria?  Did they approve of Nico, her bastard son?  Persephone had said that she and Hades considered Maria family, but did Nico’s ancestors?

“Yes,” Nico said anyway.  “Lady Maria was special.”  He let his fingers slip away from the monument and turned to face Will.  “We should continue with the ceremony,” he said, gesturing towards the altar.  Silently, Will took the shallow bowl for the libations and nodded for Nico to proceed.  

Nico took the wine first and poured it into the bowl.  “I call upon my ancestors, who rest in sacred slumber in Erebos,” he began.  His voice was shaking again.  When he glanced up and his eyes met Will’s, Will smiled reassuringly and soothed Nico’s nerves.

Nico took a deep breath and set aside the wine before reaching for the honey.  He cleared his throat and the sound reverberated from the marble walls and floors, booming loudly back in Nico’s ears.  As he drizzled the honey into the wine-filled bowl, he said, “We offer these gifts in your honor and pray that you accept our marriage.”  Nico placed the honey’s vase back on the altar and took the milk.  The offerings turned cloudy and pink as Nico poured the milk into the bowl.  “Wise ancestors, we ask you to honor your descendants with your guidance.  Grant us your blessings and watch over us as we enter our marriage.  Help us to be patient and loyal, to support and comfort one another.”  When he was done, Nico set aside the milk and held the bowl with Will.

The ritual next called for a respectful silence.  Nico offered a few unspoken words to Bianca and Maria, asking for their approval and guidance specifically.  Although not honored at the royal mausoleum, he prayed to Will’s ancestors and hoped they would hear his promise to care for Will.  When Nico looked up, Will’s eyes were closed.  A few rays of the afternoon sun illuminated his features from where they streamed in through the door, and candlelight danced across the lines of his face.  Nico wondered what he was thinking about.  How could Will look so calm?

Finally, Will opened his eyes.  He smiled when he saw Nico watching him and nodded to signal that he was ready.  Carefully, they lifted the bowl over the altar and poured the contents into the pit in the center.  When it was empty, they covered the offerings with soil to be taken to the underworld.

“It’s done,” Nico said, stepping back from the altar.  His hands were caked with earth and the sleeves of his coat were stained, but a sense of relief washed over him.  He always felt more calm after giving libations to the dead, as though he had left his worries in the hands of his ancestors to take care of for him.

Will offered Nico his arm.  “Shall we, Your Highness?”

Nico smiled.  “I’m going to ruin your coat,” he said, holding up his dirty hands.

“We planned to change before the evening’s celebration anyway,” Will reminded.  “What’s the harm?”

Nico hummed.  “True,” he admitted, and he took Will’s arm.

“Now, then,” Will said as he led Nico back outside.  “It appears we have time before we must make our appearances this afternoon.  What do you think of a walk?”

“I think a walk sounds wonderful,” Nico said.

The asphodel meadows were planted just outside the royal mausoleum, so Nico pointed toward them and steered Will in their direction.  “The asphodel meadow was planted in memory of the victims of the Scarlet Delirium, you know,” Nico said.

“Yes, I know,” Will said.  “But you’ve never brought me here before.”

“I’ve never liked it.”  The asphodel meadow may have been planted to honor Bianca, but Nico hated it.  He sometimes walked through hoping that it would make him feel close to Bianca, but it had never worked.  Asphodel was not a pretty flower.  It had an awkward, broken shape, was as lifelessly pale as a corpse, and in Nico’s opinion, it reeked of death.  It did not seem like a fitting flower to plant in memory of Bianca, who had been kind, beautiful, and loved by all.  But according to Romanus culture, asphodel was the flower of immortality, symbolising that the memories of loved ones would last forever.  Persephone said asphodel was thought to be immortal because it seemed capable of surviving in any condition, even in times of drought, and spread so quickly that it was sometimes considered a weed.  In fact, Persephone and the gardeners had a difficult time keeping the asphodel confined.  The wind sometimes spread seeds into other parts of the grounds and it wasn’t uncommon to see asphodel sprouting in places it didn’t belong.  Sometimes, Persephone would even stop during her walks to pull asphodel buds that she noticed among her flowers, dirtying her hands and sullying her dresses in the process.  Once when Nico was feeling particularly spiteful, he had accused her of picking the asphodel to avoid thinking about Bianca.  Persephone had calmly explained that asphodel was invasive and could damage the other plants, but had also admitted, “The asphodel meadow was planted after Bianca died.  It only reminds me of losing her.  I would rather be surrounded by things that remind me of when Bianca was alive, like the flowers she loved and the gardens where she liked to play with you.”

Their shoes crunched over the gravel paths as Nico led Will to the center of the meadows, where a black marble fountain stood, depicting two figures — Thanatos, the god of death, and Bianca.  

Nico recalled the first time he had visited the asphodel meadows, when Hazel had dragged him along to show him the fountain.  He remembered being afraid when he looked up into the indifferent face of Thanatos.  His huge wingspan and his looming presence had made Nico want to cower away.  Nico had immediately known that the girl was supposed to be Bianca, but he thought that she looked nothing like Bianca at all.  She was dressed in the flowing clothes of the ancients and something about her appearance was cold.  But even though he had thought she was a poor imitation of Bianca, Nico remembered feeling angry and scared to see Thanatos’ outstretched hand reaching for the girl like he meant to steal her away.

Hazel, still only a few years old at the time, had looked at Nico proudly and said, “That is my sister, Bianca.”  It had infuriated Nico.  How dare that girl speak of Bianca like she knew her?  How dare that contaminated, illegitimate stranger call Bianca her sister?

Nico had exploded, telling Hazel that she was not Bianca’s sister and that she had no right to even say Bianca’s name.  He had immediately regretted it when Hazel started to cry, but he hadn’t known how to apologize until he asked Persephone to help him.

“Are you alright?” Nico heard Will ask.  

Nico blinked away the memories and looked back at Will.  “Just lost in thought,” he answered.

“About the late princess?” Will asked.

“Yes,” Nico replied.  “And Hazel.  Hazel and I...we didn’t get along at first.  When I came back from the countryside and suddenly had a new sister, I wasn’t pleased.  I didn’t want a new sister.  I was angry and sometimes I took that out on her.  I wish I hadn’t done that.”

Nico looked back up into Thanatos’ face.  Now that he was older, Nico thought the statue looked different.  He looked calm rather than aloof.  His open wings, rather than appearing ominous, looked protective, like he was shielding Bianca.  His outstretched hand was offering to guide Bianca, not trying to steal her.  He even looked younger, close to Nico’s age, and he seemed gentle and trustworthy.  Nico no longer felt afraid of him.

Nico released Will’s arm and dipped his dirt-covered hands in the water to clean them, then gestured for Will to do the same.  “Sit with me,” he said when their hands were clean.  He sat on the edge of the fountain and patted the space beside him.  “We still have time before we’re needed.”

“And what did you plan to do with that time, Your Highness?” Will asked, but the glint in his eye said that he knew exactly what Nico wanted to do.

“Don’t ask questions you already know the answer to,” Nico said, pretending to be displeased.

He didn’t fool Will.  “Would you like a kiss, Your Highness?”

Nico rolled his eyes.  “I told you — don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.”

Will laughed softly and slipped his arm around Nico’s waist.  “How silly of me,” he said.  “I know you don’t want a kiss.  You want several.”

Will tipped Nico back so far that Nico grabbed onto Will’s neck, fearing that he’d fall into the fountain.  He kissed Nico loudly and sloppily, tickling Nico’s lips and making him laugh.  Then he pulled Nico close and kissed him softly, kindly, and innocently, and then he touched Nico’s hair and kissed him seriously.

Their kisses had turned out that way too often lately — with Nico wanting to climb into Will’s lap or to pull Will into his.  Their bodies ended up being too close, their hearts beat too fast, and Nico felt dangerously hot.  Too often, Will had pulled back, just like he was then, to remind Nico to slow down.

“We only have to wait another day,” Will said, stroking his knuckles along Nico’s neck.  “We don’t need to rush.”

Nico shivered.  Will’s gentle reminders only made it harder on him.  He suspected Will knew it, too — ever since Will had started to become aware of exactly how attracted to him Nico felt, he had started to make a hobby of teasing him.  Nico wasn’t sure if he could have survived it had Will not assured him that he wanted him, too.

“I want everything with you,” Will had said, again and again.

Nico sighed and slumped against Will’s shoulder in defeat.  “One more day,” he whispered.

“One more day,” Will replied.

*  *  *

Will wore dark blue that night, which did nothing to help Nico’s self-control.  The pastel colors popular in Jupiter and Neptune dominated the majority of Will’s wardrobe, but Nico always found himself weak at the knees when Will opted for darker clothes.  Perhaps Nico’s preference for Pluto’s darker fashion was to blame, but something about the way it looked against Will’s golden coloring made him seem even more irresistible to Nico.

They had changed into their evening attire and entered the Hall of Gold with the royal family to greet the guests as they arrived.  Before long, their names and faces started to blur together.  The Palatium de Divitae hadn’t seen such a celebration since before Bianca’s passing and Nico’s ability to host was sorely out of practice.

Nico didn’t know how he could have managed it without Will.  When they greeted the Duchess of Trivia, Will, who had met her at Lee and Lou Ellen’s wedding, kindly said that he was delighted to see her again and asked about her favorite polecat.  After Hecate was Hephaestus, the Duke of Vulcan.  Will told Nico privately that Hephaestus had once been a consor and major patron of inventions in Venadica, but had stopped visiting when he inherited the duchy about a year before Will was born.  Will even dealt with Princes Percy and Jason when they tried to engage Nico in an unwanted conversation.  They met a few other major landowners and minor nobles, and several faces later, Nico was beginning to wonder how Will knew the Plutonian nobles better than he did.  He met the crowds with the effortless grace of the perfect host, greeting everyone by name and inquiring after the health of their families.  He was charming and didn’t stay with one guest for too long or too short.  It was like he belonged in the Palatium de Divitae.

All was going well until Will put his lips close to Nico’s ear and whispered, “That’s the son of the Duke of Somnus.  His father funds my Somnium research.  I like Clovis.”

Nico recalled hearing the name before, but couldn’t remember where until he followed Will’s gaze and saw him.

“Oh, gods,” Nico murmured under his breath, but Will didn’t hear him.

There had to be somewhere Nico could run.  Surely he could distract Will and leave his parents to greet the next few guests.  After the conversation they’d had that morning, Nico didn’t think he could handle the embarrassment of meeting one of his failed suitors.

But Nico blinked, and suddenly Clovis was there in front of them.  Will started to make the introductions, but apparently Nico’s expression made it apparent that something wasn’t right.  “Have you met?” he asked.

Nico cleared his throat uncomfortably.  “It has been a long time,” he said.

Will looked between them and suddenly a look of understanding passed over his expression.  “Oh,” he said.  “Oh, I see.”  Lowering his voice, he asked, “Did you call him a toad?”

Clovis yawned.  “I think he called me a cow, actually.”

Nico felt the blood drain from his face.  Will raised an eyebrow.  “Your Highness?”

“I...it was a long time ago!” Nico insisted.  “I was only fifteen—”

“That is no excuse for calling someone a cow.”

Nico glared back, but didn’t last long before his resolve crumbled.  “Alright, I apologize,” Nico said.  “That was rude.  I should not have called you a cow.”

“It’s alright,” Clovis said glumly.  “I’ve heard worse.”

Will frowned at Nico in disappointment.  “You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

“I apologized!  What more do you want from me?”

Will just shook his head before turning back to Clovis.  “I do not think you are a cow.”

Clovis blinked like he was trying not to fall asleep.  “That’s nice of you to say.”

“But I think you should go sit down before you fall over,” Will added.

Clovis’ head bobbed up and down a few times.  Nico wasn’t sure if he was nodding in agreement or nodding off to sleep, but Will called one of the servants to escort Clovis to a table anyway.  Once he was taken care of, Will turned to frown at Nico again.

“Can we just forget this ever happened?” Nico asked.  When Will raised an eyebrow, Nico sighed in defeat.  “You’re going to tease me about this later, aren’t you?”

“I might,” Will admitted.

“Pardon me, Your Highness,” interrupted a voice.  “I wanted to give my congratulations to the grooms.”

Nico looked up in surprise.  His parents had taken over the greetings while Nico and Will were busy bickering, so he hadn’t noticed another guest approaching them.  He didn’t recognize the man at first, but then Will lit up and said, “Cecil!  I haven’t seen you for at least a year!”

Oh, gods, Nico thought.  Not again.  He would rather spend the entire evening with Percy and Jason than....

“Your Highness, I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine,” Will started.  “This is Cecil.  He’s quite a successful merchant and he recently inherited a county in southern Angelus.”

“Actually, we’ve already met,” Cecil said, smirking deviously at Nico.  Nico wanted to take Will and run.

“Oh,” said Will, looking between them.  “Oh, no.  Another spurned suitor, Your Highness?”

“Will, listen,” Nico said frantically.  “I promise he is not the one I called a toad.”

“I am not the one he called a toad,” Cecil confirmed.  “That would have been my husband.  He’ll be along shortly.”

Nico felt like he was going to be sick.

“If I recall the story correctly, His Highness _also_ called my husband a pig,” Cecil went on, still smiling with a spark of animosity in his eyes.

“I...I...uh....”

“It was a hog, not a pig,” said another voice, and then a burly man appeared at Cecil’s side.  A burly man who looked ridiculously toad-like.

Nico was _definitely_ going to be sick.

“There you are, darling,” Cecil said, linking their arms proudly.  “Will, I’d like you to meet my husband, Ellis.  We married a few months ago.  We had quite the laugh when we discovered that _both_ of us attempted to court His Highness.”

Nico tugged on Will’s sleeve urgently, but Will either didn’t understand or didn’t care.  “Now that I think about it, you compared me to a dog after we went hunting during our marriage consultation,” Will said.  “You seem to have a habit of likening your suitors to animals, Your Highness.”

“I—that—I compared you to Asterion!” Nico stammered.  When he made the comparison, he had been attempting to _encourage_ Will after his failure during the hunt.  At the time, Nico had worried that he’d said something wrong and insulted Will, but Will hadn’t seemed upset.  Had it really bothered Will after all?  “I didn’t mean...it’s...Will, listen, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” said Will.  “Apologize to them.”

Nico’s jaw dropped.  Apologizing to Clovis was one thing, but to these people?  They had teased him!  “Absolutely not!”

“Your Highness.”

“I will do no such thing!”

“I’m disappointed in you.”

“What!  I...you can’t just...that’s not...gods, fine!”  Nico glared pointedly at Ellis.  “I apologize for calling you a toad.”

“And a hog,” Will reminded.

“And a hog.”  He turned his glare to Cecil.  “And I apologize for calling you a ferret.”

“Weasel, actually,” Cecil corrected.

“Weasel!”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” said Will.  “Was that really so difficult?”

“Do not test my patience, William,” Nico growled.

“You did very well.”

“Don’t patronize me!  Gods, Will, you...you...!”  At a loss for words, Nico broke off with an angry sound.  “I’m finished here,” he announced, then he spun on his heel and stormed away before his parents noticed him leaving.

He heard laughter behind him, which only infuriated him further.  How dare Will tease him that way?  He ought to know very well that Nico did not like being reminded of the embarrassing fiascos he had gone through before finding Will.

Nico regretted losing his temper shortly after he stormed away from Will and his ex-suitors.  He was still furious with Will for teasing him — well, not quite furious; he couldn’t bring himself be furious with Will — but he knew he’d acted childishly.  What _really_ made him regret leaving Will behind, however, was that he was almost immediately accosted by Princes Percy and Jason.  They were admittedly more tolerable than Nico’s ex-suitors, but Nico would have preferred not to interact with them at all, or at least not on his own.

Percy and Jason were lacking partners, as well, so they invited him to drink with them.  Apparently Percy’s wife had run off to dance with Jason’s fiancée.  Nico recalled hearing a rumor that Jason’s fiancée was also his mistress.  He wasn’t sure whether it was true or not, but their engagement did seem suspiciously abrupt.  _Nico_ certainly would never have caused such a scandal, even if he would have enjoyed having Will as a courtesan....

Nico shook his head and quickly buried that thought as inappropriate and offensive.  

Nico tried to refuse their invitation, but they dragged him along anyway and he ended up sipping wine with the princes, searching for a way to escape and doing his best to ignore the conversation.  Much to his horror, Percy and Jason somehow managed to invite themselves to his bathing ceremony the next morning.

“And then we’ll attend Jason’s bathing ceremony when he gets married!” Percy said with delight.  Jason agreed enthusiastically.

“Absolutely not,” Nico said.

Jason looked heartbroken.  “You won’t?  But I want you to be there.”  Nico tried to avert his gaze.  Jason’s eyes were bright, blue, and something about his pitiful expression and the lighting in the room made them look soft and very much like Will’s.

“I...that’s....” Nico started, trying to appear indignant.  He failed.  “Very well,” he grumbled.  “I’ll attend your bathing ceremony.”

Jason’s expression immediately brightened and his eyes went back to being piercing, electric, and very much not-Will’s.  Nico tried to take his promise back, but protesting became impossible when Jason started to ramble about how happy he was that Nico was coming.  Nico was forced to at least pretend to give in out of fear that Jason would look at him with those Will-eyes again if Nico hurt his feelings.

Jason did, in fact, use the Will-eyes on him a few more times.  Even though Nico steeled his resolve every time, he could never bring himself to refuse him.

*  *  *

After Nico left, Cecil asked his husband to give them a moment before gesturing Will off to a private corner.  “Tell me honestly, Will.  Does he treat you well?”

Will frowned.  “His Highness?  Of course he does.”

“Pardon me for worrying, but he did call me a weasel and he called my husband a toad,” Cecil said.  “I think you can understand why I would worry about my friend marrying him.”

“Cecil, I know that you didn’t have the best experience when you attempted to court him, but that was many years ago.”

Cecil shrugged.  “If you insist.  I do hope we didn’t make him too angry earlier.”

The corner of Will’s mouth twitched up.  “He likes me too much to stay angry with me very long.  Cecil, I have been engaged to him for a few years now and we’ve grown close in that time.  I know him.  He doesn’t have a good reputation, but since I have met him, he has always been kind.  Stubborn, perhaps, but kind.”

Cecil nodded slowly.  “Alright,” he said.  “I’ll have to trust you.  Besides, I think I dislike him a bit less when he’s around you.”

“I like him quite a lot,” Will said happily.

“I suppose someone has to,” Cecil mumbled.  “But really — you get along with him?  Well, of course you do.  You could get along with anyone.  But you aren’t forcing yourself on account of his status?”

Will didn’t understand the question at first.  Nico’s status had never been Will’s primary motive for marrying him — that had only made the decision easier.  “Cecil, I love him,” Will said.  “And he loves me.”

Cecil held Will’s eyes for a moment, like he was searching for something.  “Alright,” he finally said.  “Then I wish you happiness.  Anyway, I ought invite my toad to dance now.  Enjoy your evening, Will.  May the Morai smile on your marriage.”

Cecil clapped Will on the shoulder and offered a smile before walking off to find his husband.  Will still felt that he should have said something different to stand up for Nico.  It hadn’t been the first time that someone had approached Will and expressed concern about his fiancé, but Will hadn’t heard it in a while and had nearly forgotten how poor Nico’s reputation was in Pluto.  True, Nico could be cold at first, and according to what Will had heard, he’d even been unruly or rude at times when he was younger, but anyone could be like that sometimes.  While Cecil’s friendly concern may have been reasonable, Nico didn’t deserve the hate and fear so many people in his kingdom held for him.  Will felt that he ought to be doing something to help, something to show them what he saw in Nico.

Shaking his head, Will went back to the entrance of the Hall of Gold to greet the rest of the guests with the royal family.  Hades looked at him sternly and asked where Nico had gone.  “He is cooling his temper,” Will replied.  Hades set his jaw in a displeased frown, but Persephone patted his arm and told him to leave Nico be.

Nico didn’t return by the time the guests had all been greeted, which worried Will until he entered the Chamber of Ouranos and caught sight of Nico sitting with Princes Percy and Jason.  Even from across the room, Nico’s expression was enough evidence of his discomfort.  Will considered helping him, but had just decided that he’d let Nico deal with it on his own when a loud, dramatic sigh cut through his thoughts and Lou Ellen suddenly appeared leaning on the wall beside him.

“Hello, Will,” she said.

“Good evening, Lou,” Will replied, taking note of the conspicuous lack of Lee and Michael around her.  “Where are the others?”

Lou Ellen shrugged.  “I lost them a while ago.  Where’s your groom?”

“Cooling his temper, probably.  I made him a bit angry.”

“You?” Lou Ellen laughed. _“You_ made someone angry?  That doesn’t happen very often.”

“I’ll apologize for teasing him later,” Will said.  “I may have gone a bit too far, but he probably deserved it.  He insulted my friends.”

Lou Ellen raised an eyebrow.  “Should I be worried?”

“No, everything’s fine,” Will assured.  After his conversation with Cecil, he didn’t need anyone else to worry about his marriage.  “What about you and Lee?  Is everything alright?”  Lee and Lou Ellen had been acting differently ever since about a week before they left Diana.  There had been a bit of excitement earlier that month when they thought Lou might be pregnant, but in the end it had turned out to be nothing.  Something about their relationship hadn’t seemed as effortless as usual since then.  They still got along well and they continued to be affectionate with each other, but there was some sort of passionate aspect of their relationship that didn’t seem as prominent to Will.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Lou said.  “We’re just disappointed.  We’ve been trying for years.”

Will nodded.  The entire family had been disappointed—especially Apollo, who had cried for days after they told him.  Apollo adored babies and desperately yearned for a grandchild.  In fact, he loved having children in the house so much that Lou and Michael had a running bet on how much longer Apollo would last before having another one.  Will wasn’t participating in the bet, but he suspected that Apollo wouldn’t last long after the wedding.  If Lee and Lou Ellen didn’t have a baby soon, Apollo would probably make his own instead.

Lou Ellen cleared her throat.  “Actually, Will, I wanted to ask if you...well, you’ve studied the body, so I wondered if you knew of anything that might help.”

Will sighed.  “Lou, I have to be honest with you,” he said.  “There is a chance that you and Lee simply can’t have children.”

Lou Ellen closed her eyes and sighed deeply, but didn’t look surprised.  “But if there’s any hope at all....”

“There are a few things that might help,” Will said.  “I can teach you how to track your fertile times, if you’d like.”

“Would you?” Lou Ellen asked, her expression brightening.  Will didn’t have the heart to tell her that he wasn’t confident it would make a difference.

Will opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he noticed Lee cutting through the crowd towards them.  “I’ll write it down for you later,” Will promised.

“There you are!” Lee said, leaning down to kiss Lou’s forehead.  “I have been looking everywhere for you.  People keep asking me to dance and rejecting them has gotten tiring.  Being handsome is such a hassle.”

Lou Ellen smiled at him in amusement.  “You’re allowed to dance with other people.  You needn’t hold back on my account.”

“But you are the only one I want to dance with, my love,” Lee said.  “Won’t you protect me from my own tragically good looks?”

“Of course, dear.  I sometimes forget how painful it is for you to be so devastatingly gorgeous.”

Will rolled his eyes, but he felt a little bit relieved.  Lee and Lou Ellen’s relationship seemed just fine.

“So,” Lee said.  “What have you been doing while I was off fending for myself?”

“Will has been providing me with some tips for our bedroom activities,” Lou said proudly.

“Why, thank you, Will!” said Lee.  “I look forward to discovering what she learned.”

Will hid his face in his hands in embarrassment.  “I hate you both,” he muttered.

“Ridiculous,” Lee said.  “You are going to miss me terribly when we leave.  It won’t be a month before you send me a tear-stained letter crying about how you wish I hadn’t left you behind.  But as much as I wish I could could stay and chat, I actually came here because Lou and I need to relieve Mama from Octavian Duty soon.”

Will nodded sympathetically.  Fortunately, he had been excused from Octavian Duty for the duration of his wedding, but Octavian needed to be constantly monitored.  “Where is everyone else?” Will asked.

“Michael and Papa are together somewhere,” Lee answered.  “Papa thinks he is watching over Michael to make sure he doesn’t drink too much, but Michael thinks he is watching Papa to make sure he doesn’t try to woo anyone important.  I’m not sure which one of them is correct, but I decided not to pry.  Chiron and Austin are watching Kayla to keep her from destroying anything else.  Oh, and I believe Lady Reyna was looking for you to prepare for the lighting of the wedding hearth.  Where’s your groom, by the way?”

“Will teased him and now they’re in the midst of a lover’s quarrel,” Lou Ellen replied.

“It’s not a lover’s quarrel,” Will said.

Lee whistled.  “Bad timing, Will.  I suggest you make up before tomorrow night.”

Lou Ellen scoffed.  “I’d wager seven aurei that all he has to do is smile to get the Prince to forgive him.”

Will blushed and tried to protest, but Lee laughed.  “I’m not betting against that,” he said.  “Go find your prince and Lady Reyna, Will.  Lou and I ought to relieve Mama before Octavian wears through her patience.”

After Lou Ellen and Lee had left, Will scanned the crowd for Reyna’s sororal silver.  The dresses of sorors and the pale colors popular in Jupiter and Neptune stood out against the backdrop of dark colors favored by Plutonian aristocrats.  Will wondered if it was simply a unique Plutonian style, or whether the fashion of Pluto had fallen behind since the Scarlet Delirium’s effect on the economy.  Earlier that week, Lee had remarked that the cut of Plutonian clothes seemed a bit dated, with higher waistlines on men’s clothing and higher necklines on the women’s.  Will had never noticed, but perhaps Lee had a point.  Over time, the lower Neptunian cut had become popular in Jupiter, but it appeared that the trend had not spread to Pluto.  When he had brought it up with Nico, however, Nico had declared that the Neptunian cut was scandalous and that Plutonians simply had a sense of decency.  Reyna, who had been in the room at the time, had laughed and teased him for being hypocritically prudish.

When Will found her, Reyna informed him that it was time to prepare for the lighting of the wedding hearth and asked where the Prince was.  Will pointed to where he’d seen Nico and asked her opinion on the way Nico had stormed off earlier.

“I think that it will take approximately two seconds for him to forgive you, if he hasn’t already,” she said.  “But I also think you ought to apologize anyway.  I, for one, am guilty of teasing him too often.  It’s true that he overreacts, but he doesn’t deserve to be teased so much.”

Will nodded.  “I agree,” he said.

“That being said,” Reyna went on, “He _was_ quite terrible to those suitors and a bit of retribution was due.  I wish I’d been there to see it.”

When they found Nico, he was still sitting with Princes Percy and Jason, looking miserable and desperate for an escape.  He seemed happy to see Will at first, quickly abandoning the other princes to run to latch onto Will’s arm, but then he frowned and scowled like he had just remembered that he was supposed to be angry.

“I wanted to apologize for teasing you so much earlier,” Will said.  “I shouldn’t have done that, especially not in front of our guests.”

Nico looked like he was ready to argue further, but then Will smiled at him and, as Lou Ellen had predicted, the resolve melted from Nico’s expression.  “My actions may have warranted a bit of teasing,” Nico admitted.  “Did I truly insult you when I compared you to Asterion?”

Will chuckled under his breath.  “Of course not,” he answered.

“Good.  Because I didn’t mean to, really.  I meant to be encouraging.  I worried that I might have said it the wrong way and when you commented on it earlier, I thought....”

“Your Highness, I never even considered that you meant to insult me by comparing me to Asterion,” Will said.  “In fact, I’m flattered that you think as highly of me as you do of your dog.”

Reyna cleared her throat.  “Now that you’ve successfully made up, I suggest you make your way to the courtyard for the wedding hearth ceremony before the sun sets,” she said.  “The guests have already begun to gather.

Will looked up at the domed glass roof of the Hall of Ouranos to see that the sky already had an orange cast in the west.  The lighting of the wedding hearth always took place at sundown.  It was a Plutonian ritual to signify the beginning of the celebrations.  The first time Will heard of it was at Lee and Lou Ellen wedding when they lit the hearth in honor of Lou Ellen’s Trivian heritage.  The tradition originated in ancient Pluto, Nico had explained.  The hearth was considered to be the heart of the home; it served as a place to gather for conversation, to cook, and to eat.  The lighting of the wedding hearth signified a welcoming embrace and the joining of families through matrimony.  In more recent times, royalty and noble or wealthy families often performed the ceremony with a great fire pit rather than an indoor fireplace.  Lee and Lou Ellen had lit a fire pit in the courtyard of the Sun Palace.  Nico and Will would do the same at the Palatium de Divitae.

As they left, Will heard couriers announcing that the wedding hearth ceremony was about to begin and a crowd had already begun to form by the time they arrived in the courtyard.  Reyna led them past guests wearing heavy perfumes, frilled coats, and sweeping skirts until they reached the fire pit.  Dried logs and twigs had been piled on top of one another to build a tall structure, one that seemed even larger than the wedding hearth at Lee and Lou Ellen’s wedding.  An outdoor orchestra filled the air with music distinct from the chatter of the crowd.  Not for the first time, Will was struck by the absurdity of the fact that all of the extravagance was for him and his wedding.  To Will, it seemed as though the entire world was celebrating his marriage.

Reyna arranged them so that they were standing in the proper places in front of the fire pit and  asked, “Do you both remember what you are supposed to do?”

“Of course,” Will said.  To his left, Nico nodded, but seemed less certain.  Will frowned in concern.  After finishing the rituals in the temples and the mausoleum, Nico’s nerves had appeared to melt away, but he suddenly seemed tense again.  

Reyna seemed to notice Nico’s unease, as well.  “Everything will be alright, Your Highness,” she said.  “It’s a short ceremony.  It’ll be over before you can blink.”  Before she turned to leave, Reyna looked at Will and nodded, a gesture that Will understood to mean, _take care of him for me._

A moment later, when they were alone, Will looked at Nico and asked, “Are you nervous about the ceremony?”

Nico didn’t look back at him.  He stared straight forward into the crowd and chewed his lip before answering.  “Ceremonies don’t really make me anxious,” he eventually said.

“Then are you nervous about marriage?”

“No,” Nico replied.  “Quite the opposite.  I’m so excited that it’s driving me mad.”

Nico looked up then.  The darkening red sky made his eyes look like they were made of fire.  Will felt like his gaze was piercing him, threatening to strike his very soul.  Will was vulnerable, weak, and naked in a way that he only ever felt around Nico.  “I love you,” he blurted out before he could stop himself.  He wanted to kiss Nico right there in front of the crowd, but just managed to hold himself back.

Nico’s expression melted into something softer and gentler.  “And I love you,” he answered.

Will might have kissed him then, had the crowd not started to part for a woman in silver holding a lit torch.  There had never been a question as to whom would perform the soror’s rituals in their wedding.  Artemis had been the obvious choice and she had made it quite clear that she would not tolerate them even thinking of asking another soror.

Artemis offered the torch to Nico without a word when she reached them.  The lighting of the wedding hearth was a silent ceremony.  There were no hymns to recite, no words to exchange — the heath spoke for itself.

When Nico turned to share it with Will, their eyes met across the flame.  There was a question in Nico’s eyes.  Will wasn’t sure exactly what it meant.  Perhaps, _Are you certain?_ or, _Are you ready?_

Will’s answer was the same either way.  He reached out to help Nico hold the torch, and together, they dipped it into the fire pit.  For a moment, it didn’t catch.  Will noticed Nico’s body go tense.  Then a dry bit of dead brush started to burn, and only a moment later, the pit was engulfed in flames.

The fire would be kept alive over the next two days of the wedding.  Supposedly, it was a bad omen if the fire ran out before the wedding ended, but Will didn’t believe that was true.  However, Nico did.  The hearth was to be constantly monitored and tended to until they threw in the wedding wreaths to signal the end of the celebrations at the end of gift-giving day.

The crowd cheered and applauded as the flames licked up towards the clouds.  Nico returned the torch to Artemis, then took Will’s hand and stood beside him to watch the smoke rise into the air.  In the distance, the first firework of the night rocketed up before bursting into streaks of red across the dark sky.  Out of the corner of his eye, Will noticed Reyna turn and disappear into the crowd.

“Where is Reyna going?” Will asked.

“My chambers,” Nico replied.  “I asked her to take care of Asterion before the fireworks startle him too much.  He’s afraid of them.”

Will smiled to himself.  “I remember.  That was the night we had our first kiss.”

“Yes,” Nico said.  He sounded surprisingly displeased.  “But if you hadn’t been so annoyingly polite, we could have kissed long before then.  You must have realized that I’d been trying to get you to kiss me since the fall.”

Will laughed.  “I hadn’t the faintest clue.  I couldn’t understand you at all back then.  But you were not very forthcoming with your feelings.”

“I’m improving.”

“Yes,” Will agreed.  “And I have become much better able to understand you, as well.”

“Yet we still have much to learn, don’t we?”

Will cupped Nico’s jaw and carefully brushed his thumb over his cheek.  “Yes.  And I suspect that the more I learn, the more I’m going to fall in love with you.”

They kissed while the crowd around them was too busy watching the fireworks to pay attention.  “One more night,” Nico whispered, running his fingers down the front of Will’s coat.  “Then we can....”

“One more night and I’m yours,” Will answered.


	2. Chapter 2

Being both a consor and the son of a wealthy duke, Will was in a unique position of privilege while also being accustomed to aspects of the livelihood of commoners.  Part of the Soror’s Oath involved abstaining from excess and consors followed their example.  While he had always lived comfortably, Will was not unused to performing simple chores and lacking certain luxuries.

Will’s siblings, who had always lived under the care of Apollo’s servants, were horrified by the idea that their brother was subjected to such a cruel form of torture.  Did he truly assist with kitchen duty in the dormitories?  How could his poor hands endure the abuse of cleaning?  Austin had been brought to tears when Will explained that he even dressed himself in Venadica.  Lee had asked how Will knew what to do with all the buttons.  Michael had been more concerned about the torment Will’s friends must have faced as a result of exposure to Will’s fashion sense.

“If you live like commoners in Venadica, do you even...bathe?” Lee had once asked in a whisper, looking over his shoulder like he was afraid of damaging Will’s reputation if overheard.

Of _course_ Will bathed in Venadica.  It was a myth, Will had explained, that commoners never bathed.  They simply didn’t have the resources to completely submerge themselves in water.  Even if they did gather enough water to waste, heating it took time and supplies that commoners simply didn’t have.  Will washed himself using a bucket of water, unscented soap, and a cloth.  Will’s siblings were not convinced that such a method could result in adequate cleanliness.

Although Will’s training as a consor had taught him to deny indulgence, he had to admit that he enjoyed the perfumed baths he was given in Diana.  He didn’t mind his Venadican lifestyle, but a part of him selfishly revelled in being spoiled every time he went back to the Sun Palace.

But Will was _not_ enjoying the bath he was receiving for his bathing ceremony.

Tradition dictated that a groom was bathed by his close male kin the morning before his wedding procession.  Will’s brothers, having been pampered all their lives, had no practice in giving baths.  Will sat in a linen-lined metal tub in the center of the room with his head between his knees, feeling dizzy because the water was so heavily perfumed that he could hardly breathe.  His brothers knelt on the marble floor around the tub.  Austin and Lee were washing soap into Will’s head, tugging carelessly at his hair while Michael scrubbed Will’s back with a cloth.  His brothers didn’t have the gentle, practiced touch that their servants did and their rough treatment left Will’s skin red and sore.

Octavian and Apollo were doing nothing to help, although Will supposed he was grateful that they weren’t adding to his discomfort.  Apollo, who had been especially melancholy since leaving Hyacinthus behind at the Sun Palace, was sitting at the vanity and staring forlornly in the mirror.  Octavian had refused to go near the tub, stating that he did not wish to ruin his clothes, and instead was hoarding their breakfast and lounging on the daybed that was meant for the bather to lie on while they dried.

And yet, Will wasn’t going to complain.  His brothers were doing their best and they appeared to enjoying themselves, so Will was happy.

“Do you think the water is going cold?” Austin asked.

“It seems like it was hotter before, now that you mention it,” Lee said.  “Will, is it cold?”

“It’s alright,” Will answered.  He was more concerned with the overabundance of perfumes and the needlessly rough scrubbing.

“It’s cold,” Michael confirmed.  “Should we call a servant to heat more water?”

“I can’t believe they don’t have pipes for drawing baths,” Octavian said loudly.  “What sort of palace is this?  Honestly, Will, of all the princes you could marry, you had to choose the one without indoor plumbing.”

Lee pursed his lips.  Austin groaned.  Michael muttered a couple of curse words and rude names for Octavian under his breath.  After being forced into unceasing cycles of Octavian Duty for the past several weeks, the entire family was tired of him.

“Octavian, we’ve discussed this,” Lee said in a clipped, impatient voice.  “Pluto’s amenities are a bit behind due to the country being in debt.”

“What on Gaea’s good earth did they spend their money on, if not indoor plumbing?” Octavian demanded, popping a grape in his mouth.  “It seems awfully irresponsible to me.”

“Baubles of Ouranos, maybe they spent it all when half the country was ill!” Michael snapped.

“Well, perhaps they shouldn’t have gotten sick!  Whatever did they do that for?”

“People were _dying,_ you stupid, selfish son of a bitch—”

“More money for the living, then!”

“Gods above,” muttered Austin.  “Why did he have to come?  No one wants him here.”

“If this country is so poor and foolish, then why are you trying to seduce its prince?” asked Michael.

“Michael, I’m surprised at you,” gasped Octavian.  “How dare you suggest that I am attempting to seduce my cousin’s groom!  It should be obvious that the endeavor is entirely mutual.”

“Oh, for the love of Rhea,” Lee sighed.  “Octavian, make yourself useful and bring us more hot water.”

Octavian’s lip curled in outrage.  “I beg your pardon?  Do I look like a servant to you?”

“No, you look like a dumbass,” Michael answered.

Will did his best not to laugh.  Austin, however, laughed so hard that he slipped on the soapy floor and landed on his rear.

Octavian was not amused.  His face red with fury, Octavian rounded on Apollo.  “Uncle!” he barked.  “Control your offspring!”

Apollo, who had still been busy examining himself in the mirror, looked up in confusion.  “Was there a problem?” he asked.

“The water is going cold,” Lee answered.

“Ah,” said Apollo.  “Octavian, make yourself useful and bring us more hot water.”

Lee and Michael beamed at Octavian victoriously.  Octavian went scarlet and sputtered incoherently, then got to his feet, shouting, “I refuse to stay here and be treated this way!” and stormed out of the room.

“Bring back hot water!” Lee shouted after him, but Octavian had already slammed the door shut.

“Thank the gods, he’s gone,” Michael sighed.

Apollo frowned.  “Was it something I said?”

“Yes, and you did wonderfully,” Lee answered.  “Excellent work, Papa.”

“Should we worry about Octavian invading the Prince’s bathing ceremony?” Austin asked.

Will shook his head.  “I asked Lady Reyna to post guards at the doors...and the windows, for good measure.”

Will’s brothers nodded wisely.  When it came to Octavian, one could never be too cautious.

“You know, all this time we’ve been spending with Octavian makes me realize that there are things I miss about having him around back home,” said Austin.  “Don’t misunderstand me, I hate him.  But he always makes one feel superior in every possible way by comparison.  For one thing, Michael, Will, and I are the least attractive males in the household when he’s gone.”

Will laughed.  It was no secret that Lee was the prettiest of the four brothers, having inherited his looks from Apollo.  It had become an ongoing joke between the brothers to poke fun at Lee’s vanity or the way people tended to fawn over him.

“Fear not, Austin,” said Lee.  “It’s not that you aren’t handsome; it’s only that Papa, Hyacinthus, and I are so breathtakingly gorgeous that no one can measure up.”

Apollo sighed and turned to despondently gaze in the mirror again.  “I really am so attractive, aren’t I?”

“And modest,” Michael agreed sympathetically.  “Next to Octavian, though, we all look stunning.  Octavian is hideous.”

“I wonder...” mused Lee.  “Do you think that Octavian truly is objectively hideous, or do we just hate him so much that we perceive him as being hideous?”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Austin.  “Octavian may or may not be objectively ugly, but his personality is so awful that it would make him unattractive even if the gods themselves blessed him with beauty.  Meanwhile, Will, Michael, and I are narrowly above average in terms of appearance.  Lee, Hyacinth, and Papa are all far too handsome for their own good.  Now that Will is leaving, Michael and I will be the only narrowly above average males left, and therefore the ugliest.  At least we can share the burden.”

“Have faith, Austin,” said Lee.  “You still have a few years of growing left.  You may catch up to me!”

“Whereas it’s too late for me?” Will asked in amusement.

“Will, you don’t _need_ to be as unbearably attractive as I do,” Lee said.  “You’ve got a brilliant brain and the purest heart and, unlike me, you inherited none of our father’s vanity.  Besides, you already have a prince whose eyes can see no one but you.”

“Don’t worry, Will, we’re still very pretty,” Austin said.  “Just not as pretty as Lee.”

“You’ll grow into it, Austin,” Lee assured.  “At the very least, one day I’ll go bald and then you’ll be prettier than me.”

Michael snorted.  “I recall you once saying that you’d rather die young than become old and ugly.”

“Ah, but that was before I met my wife,” Lee said, his eyes lighting up with adoration.  “Now I want nothing more than to grow old with Lou Ellen.”

Austin cooed.  Michael gagged.  Apollo was still busy studying the mirror.

“So I suppose I’ll be the least attractive male in the household when Austin grows up?” Michael asked.

“You wouldn’t have to be if you’d go to Neptune and get married,” Lee muttered.

The laughter stopped and the room fell silent.

Fights were not a rare occurrence for Lee and Michael.  They bickered, they teased, and sometimes they upset each other so much that they would avoid each other for days before finally making amends.  Usually fights were no reason for concern, but arguments about Michael’s reluctance to marry had become almost commonplace over the past couple of years.

Although Michael never actually _insulted_ suitors, he was like Nico in the sense that had been cold to potential marriage candidates.  Lee had always lectured Michael about taking the arrangements more seriously, but it hadn’t been until Michael started corresponding with his current suitor that things took a turn for the worse.  Michael seemed disinterested in marrying her, but reluctant to stop courting her, and no one in the family was quite sure exactly what was happening between them.  It frustrated Lee to the point that he tried to meddle and pry, which accomplished nothing other than making Michael upset.

Will silently pleaded for Michael to control his temper.  He hated when his brothers fought.  If they started an argument at his wedding....

After the celebrations, Will’s family would return to Diana while Will stayed in Pluto.  He couldn’t say for sure when he’d meet them again and he didn’t want to be left with the memories of them fighting.

Finally, Lee cleared his throat and got to his feet.  “I suppose Octavian’s not bringing back hot water, so I’ll go fetch some myself,” he announced.  He left without waiting for an answer or saying another word.

Apollo looked up in surprise when he heard the door shut.  “What happened?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Michael said.  “Don’t worry about it, Papa.  Go back to your mirror.”

For a fraction of a second, Apollo hesitated.  Then he sighed and turned to gaze admiringly at his reflection again.

“Michael?” Will asked.

“It’s fine,” Michael said shortly.  He picked up the cloth and went back to scrubbing Will’s arm.

When Lee and Michael fought, the Sun Palace wasn’t the same; the halls were thick with tension and everyone’s nerves stood on edge.  Only Lou Ellen had a chance at helping them talk, but too often, even she could do nothing.  Will didn’t want that to happen at his wedding.

Will exchanged a glance with Austin.  He seemed just as concerned as Will, but neither of them commented further.  Instead, Will put his head between his knees again and let Austin continue washing his hair.

Lee came back a few moments later, carrying a pot of water with him.  “Where are the servants when you need them?” he complained loudly.  “I waited for someone to carry this for me for _five_ minutes!  If I get callouses from carrying this, I will not be pleased.”

Will braced himself against the heat as Lee raised the pot to pour the water on his head.

It was not hot.

Will gasped as cold water rushed over his head and down his shoulders like sharp crystals of ice stabbing his skin.  He jumped out of the freezing tub and dove to cover himself in the linens that had been set out to dry him with.  “Lee!” he shouted.  “What—”

His traitorous brothers were laughing at him.  “Gods, the look on your face—” Lee started.

“Lee, you _ass!”_ Will stuck his foot back in the tub to splash water at him, but that only made Lee laugh harder.

“I told you, I couldn’t find any servants,” Lee said.  “How was I supposed to heat it?”

“What an absolute lie.  If you couldn’t find any servants, how did you get the water in the first place?  You obviously requested it to be chilled.”

Lee gasped in mock outrage.  “How could you accuse me of such a thing?  That’s absurd!”

Will scowled, but gave up arguing in favor of burying himself in more linens.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lee put his hand on Michael’s shoulder.  Lee mouthed an apology and Michael nodded back.

Will was shivering and his teeth were chattering, but he ended up laughing along with his brothers.  He was willing to endure Lee’s pranks if it meant diffusing the tension and helping him and Michael make amends.

 

*   *   *

By the time his bathing ceremony was over, Nico’s head was throbbing.  Between Jason badgering Nico for his friendship, Hades’ stoic awkwardness, and Percy’s reluctance to keep his clothes on, Nico’s bathing ceremony had been the most uncomfortable experience of his life.  When he finally escaped the bathing chamber and fled to Reyna for comfort, Jason seized her attention and requested she join him for a dance.  To Nico’s horror, Reyna accepted and they left him alone at the entrance of the Chamber of Ouranos.  Nico could not understand why Jason _still_ seemed determined to steal Reyna from him even after acquiring a new fiancée.  Even Hedge abandoned Nico in favor of running off with Mellie, the maid who worked for Will’s family.

When Persephone found Nico brooding by himself, she said that he looked like he could use a drink and offered him a glass of wine.  “Was your bathing ceremony that bad?” she asked knowingly.

“You can’t possibly imagine,” Nico replied.

“Mine was terrible, too,” Persephone said.  “My mother spent the entire time telling me that I was throwing my life away by marrying your father and that I should have become a soror instead.”

Nico sighed tiredly.  Demeter was known for showing up in Divitia without warning and performing inspections of the palace as an excuse to express her continuing disapproval of her daughter’s marriage.  She was clearly resentful about Nico and Hazel’s existence and Nico remembered that Bianca had always hated Demeter’s visits.  When Nico asked Persephone if Demeter knew about his true parentage, Persephone had replied, “No, and under no circumstances is she ever to find out.  If she knew, she would stop at nothing to annul my marriage and destroy your claim to the throne.”

The royal family had hoped that Demeter would send a representative rather than attend Nico’s wedding herself, but their hopes had been in vain.  Thankfully, she had been surprisingly pleasant since her arrival.  Nico had worried that she would say something rude about Will’s illegitimacy, but it had only taken Will minutes to charm her.

“How did you ever convince your mother to consent to your marriage, anyway?” Nico asked.

The corner of Persephone’s mouth quirked up.  “I didn’t give her a choice,” she answered.  “I told her I was pregnant and she agreed to endorse the marriage to preserve my dignity.  She was furious when she found out I’d lied.”

Hades appeared at her side with a disapproving frown.   _“Persephone,”_ he scolded.  “Please don’t dig up old scandals.”

Persephone remained unfazed.  “It wasn’t a scandal,” she said.  “A scandal requires public outrage.  The only person who was bothered was my mother.”

“Public outrage was only narrowly avoided,” Hades insisted.  “Bringing it up will only cause more harm than good.”

“Hades, I think you are seriously exaggerating.”

Nico sighed.  He was accustomed to his parents bantering and bickering and had plenty of practice turning a deaf ear their way.  Nico was of the opinion that Hades would be a difficult person to marry.  Personally, he was impressed that Persephone didn’t argue with Hades half as often as Nico did.

Nico looked away and scanned the Hall of Ouranos for his groom.  He had been told that Will hadn’t left his bathing ceremony yet, but he still hoped that Will would arrive soon.  He saw Percy dancing with his wife while his ex-suitor, Cecil, danced with his husband.  Jason was still with Reyna, but Nico was glad to see that Jason’s fiancée had joined them.  Nico spotted Hedge and Mellie talking not far away, and while he couldn’t hear them, the besotted looks in their eyes told him that he didn’t want to know what they were saying.  Several children — Will’s sister among them — were gathered to the side of the room, circled around something and chatting eagerly.  A group of women — mostly countesses — were gossiping nearby.

“Don’t you think it’s odd that the Prince is marrying a man?” Nico overheard one woman saying.  He glanced away before they noticed him looking.  “It would be sensible if the late Princess were still with us, but for the heir to have a marriage that won’t produce children....”

Nico heard her companions quietly agree and felt their eyes on his back.  It wasn’t the first time that his preference for men had been questioned.  His intention to have a husband had been challenged many times since Bianca had died.  He recalled being shocked when his tutor, Minos, first told him that he would have to take a wife to procure an heir.  He had been about seven years old at the time, taking refuge from the Scarlet Delirium in the Lotussium.

“But I want to marry a boy,” Nico had said.  “My father told me I could marry a boy.”

“That was before your sister died,” Minos had replied.  “It is no longer appropriate for you to take a husband.”

“But I don’t want to marry a girl,” Nico had insisted.  “I want to marry a _boy.”_

“Selfish child, it doesn’t matter what you want,” Minos had snapped.  “You will do what is best for your family and your kingdom, understand?”

That hadn’t been the last time someone had called him selfish for insisting upon having a husband rather than a wife.  Nico had almost given in on a few occasions, but the idea of marrying a woman had felt so wrong to him.  It wasn’t until he was twelve, just before he was old enough to start seeing suitors, that he finally had a serious conversation with his father about it.

“If you feel so strongly about this, it must mean that the gods intend for you to take a husband,” Hades had said, and suddenly the guilt Nico had been carrying all those years was washed away.  If the King and the gods were behind him, then surely Nico wasn’t wrong for wanting to marry a man.

Nico looked over his shoulder at the whispering women again and smirked when he saw them quickly glance away.  Let them talk.  He had already snagged the perfect husband and no one could take Will away from him.

“Don’t pay them any attention,” Hades said.  “It’s best to just ignore the gossip.”

Nico looked at his father in surprise.  He hadn’t realized that Hades had been listening, and he certainly hadn’t expected him to comment on it.  “Right,” Nico said, wondering if Hades had caught his self-righteous grin.  He wasn’t in the mood to be scolded.

“You made a good choice,” Hades went on.  “Your fiancé continues to impress me.”

“Then I suppose you can stop berating me for my history with suitors,” Nico scowled.

Hades frowned.  “I have,” he said.

As soon as Hades said it, Nico realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he had argued with his father about suitors.  In fact, Hades had only ever voiced his approval of Will.  “Oh,” Nico said.  “Right.”

They fell into silence.  Nico wondered if he should apologize.  When he glanced at Persephone, she looked pleased to see them talking and nodded for him to continue.

“I’d like to thank you,” Nico said quickly.

Hades looked confused.  Persephone nodded encouragingly again.

“When I told you that I wanted a husband instead of a wife, you listened,” Nico went on.  “Thank you for supporting me.”

Nico bit his tongue to stop himself from saying anything else.  Hades was quiet.  Nico caught him looking to Persephone for help.

“Our family has seen enough tragedy,” Hades finally said.  “I didn’t want you to have a miserable marriage.  Why do you think I was so patient with you when you spurned every suitor you met?”

Nico and Hades must have had vastly different memories, because Nico did not recall Hades being “patient.”

“I admit that I still find it odd that you have such a strong preference, but I would never ignore something that you feel so strongly about,” Hades continued.  “And like I said, you chose well.  When you told me that you would accept him as your fiancé, I knew you must have seen something special in him.”

Nico hesitated, then said, “Thank you.”

“However, you did manage to ruin several diplomatic relations along the way,” Hades scowled.  “Lady Reyna’s ties to Mars were the only thing preventing Ares from invading our southeastern border after the way you insulted his son.”

“I was thirteen!”

“I don’t care how old you were—”

“That’s enough,” Persephone interrupted.  “We are not having this argument at our son’s wedding.”

“We are not arguing,” Hades said.  “We’re having a discussion.”

 _“Discussion?”_ Nico repeated incredulously.  “The only possible reason you would bring that up—”

“Enough,” Persephone repeated.  “Hades, don’t antagonize him.  Nico, control your temper.”

“My temper is perfectly—”

“I have done nothing—”

 _“Nothing?_  You’re the one who started—”

“Persephone, he’s acting like a child—”

“You’re _both_ acting like children,” Persephone said.  “Hades, let me handle this.”

“I—” Hades started, but Persephone silenced him with a look.  “Very well,” he said, and then he turned on his heel and stalked away.

“Why is he always like this?” Nico demanded, glaring after his father.  “He’s never pleased.”

“Nico, he’s very pleased,” Persephone said.  “He just doesn’t know how to show it.  He was trying to tell you that he’s proud of you.”

Nico snorted, not wanting to admit that he knew Persephone was right.

“But let’s not talk about this today,” Persephone said.  “I have an early wedding gift for you.  I hid a bottle of wine and two glasses in the crystal cabinet in your room.  Something for you and your new husband to enjoy tonight, if you’d like.”

Nico’s face burned.  The fervid want he felt for Will was embarrassing enough, but it was even worse to be reminded that everyone knew exactly what he and Will were going to do that night.

“But be careful,” Persephone warned.  “If you use it tonight, don’t drink too much too fast.  The wine I chose is rather weak, but be wary of your limits and make wise choices.”

“I’m not a child,” Nico scowled.  “I know how to drink.”

“I know you do, but it’s also your wedding night and you are going to be nervous.  Don’t let that drive you to drink too much.  Understand?”

Nico sighed.  Persephone was right to worry.  “Yes, I understand.  I’ll be careful.”

“Good.  I am giving you this gift so that you and your new husband can drink together and talk to calm yourselves after the going-to-bed ceremony.  Take your time.  There’s no need for you to rush.”

Nico cleared his throat awkwardly.  “Mamma, I’d rather not discuss this.”

“Alright,” Persephone said soothingly.  “We don’t have to talk about it anymore.  I know it’s uncomfortable.” She nodded to something behind Nico.  “Look, there’s your groom now.  Isn’t he handsome today?”

Nico turned in time to see Will entering the Hall of Ouranos.  Freshly washed and standing in the sunlight shining through the glass ceiling, Will looked like he was glowing.  His smile was as radiant as ever and his hair was even brighter than usual against his black clothes.

 _Black._ Did Will know what he did to Nico when he wore black?

Nico took a deep breath.  “Yes,” he whispered.  “He looks very handsome.”

*   *   *

Will had been busy since his bathing ceremony.  By the time he emerged from the bathing chamber with his brothers and father, Lou Ellen and Daphne were exhausted from being on Octavian Duty for so long, but they stayed long enough for Will to introduce them to his Venadican friends.  His family had never met Asclepius before, but they’d met Emmie, Jo, Cal, and Leo about a decade earlier when the children in Venadica were sent to Delphi in the wake of the Scarlet Delirium.  Will’s family thanked Emmie, Jo, and Asclepius for watching over him.  His older siblings took a special liking to Leo and Calypso when they cursed at Octavian in flawless old Pluton, which Octavian incorrectly translated as compliments.

When Will left them to greet his guests, Jo was taking Leo to meet Hephaestus.  Leo had always idolized Hephaestus, who had become somewhat of a legend among the Venadican engineering students.  Although it had been many years since they had last seen each other, Jo had collaborated with the duke on several projects before he stopped visiting Venadica.  She had agreed to introduce them when Leo insisted.  Leo wanted to talk to Hephaestus about his project on combustion energy, and maybe even convince him to fund his research.

Will spoke with Clovis for a while, then met with Hecate to discuss a chemistry project she was sponsoring.  Cecil grabbed his attention that afternoon before Kayla roped him into dancing with her.  She took the next hour to babble about how she was thinking about joining the Sorority, but she didn’t want to do it if she had to be a puella first because they wore brown.  “Like _commoners!”_ she whispered in horror.

Will hadn’t had the chance to sit down since his bathing ceremony, he hadn’t seen his groom all day, and he hadn’t eaten since that morning.  When Chiron rounded up Will and his family to prepare for the vows, Will’s stomach was growling and his head was starting to throb.  He nearly asked Mellie to bring him something to eat, but decided he could wait for the banquet after the vows.

Chiron brought them back to the bathing chamber where Will’s wedding wreath and ermine-lined cape were waiting.  The cape, Will noted, bore spots in a pattern that only Royals were permitted to wear.

Even among nobility, servants never made the wedding wreaths for the brides and grooms; tradition dictated that the couple must weave the wreaths themselves.  The plants used to make the wreaths varied between weddings, but Nico and Will had chosen myrtle for love and prosperity, ivy for commitment and eternity, and whitethorn for protection.  Over the past few weeks, Will and Nico had spent hours together clumsily weaving their wedding wreaths.  They had scratched their fingers, broken enough stems to build a house with, and needed several practice attempts before they managed to weave a loop that didn’t fall apart, but Will had enjoyed every second he spent with Nico.

Mellie styled Will’s hair with hot irons at the vanity so that his curls would cradle the wedding wreath, then she lightly reapplied the powder on his face and painted his lips a shade darker.  Will’s shoes were polished and his kravat exchanged for one that was freshly cleaned and pressed.  Apollo and Michael fastened the cape over his shoulders and Daphne placed the wreath on top of his head.  Lee and Lou Ellen perfumed his coat with the essence of lavender to symbolize devotion.

The perfumes only aggravated Will’s headache.  By the time his family escorted him to the entrance of the courtyard, Will was beginning to feel dizzy and starting to regret not asking for something to eat.  Will rubbed his pounding forehead to alleviate some of the pressure, but Mellie scolded him for tampering with his freshly applied makeup.  She kept a close eye on him until they reached the royal family, at which point she cheerfully left to stand by Hedge instead.

As delighted as Will was to finally see Nico, he couldn’t manage more than a smile and a polite greeting.  Like Will, Nico wore black brocade with gold embroidery encrusted with diamonds and other precious stones, a wedding wreath, and an ermine-lined cape that matched Will’s.  He looked handsome, but smelled strongly of rosemary and the scents of their perfumes mixing made Will’s headache slip into a migraine.  To make matters worse, Nico looked so displeased that Will wondered if he’d done something to offend him.

“Is something wrong, Your Highness?” Will asked as Reyna directed him to stand by Nico.

Nico clicked his tongue in disapproval, but offered Will his arm anyway.  “You have been ignoring me all day.  I have been looking at you since you entered the Chamber of Ouranos, but you didn’t so much as glance at me.  I wanted to dance with you.”

“My apologies, Your Highness.  I assure you that I wanted to dance with you as well, but I was occupied with greeting our guests.”

Nico’s frown softened and he smiled.  “I know.  I’m only pretending to be upset.”

Will was glad.  His headache was bad enough without an angry groom added to it.

“But when I saw you come in today, I thought you looked beautiful,” Nico went on.  “I wanted to steal you away.”

Will discreetly squeezed Nico’s arm.  “A few more hours, and you won’t have to.”

At first Will wasn’t entirely aware of what he’d said and it took him a moment to understand Nico’s shocked reaction.  By the time he realized what he’d implied, Nico was already smirking at him.

“And that is the only reason I haven’t done it yet,” Nico whispered.  “All my patience is about to pay off.”

Will was also looking forward to the wedding night, but at that moment he was hungry and tired and more concerned about the wedding banquet.  He almost wanted to skip the vows so that he could eat sooner.

Their families led them out to the courtyard where the crowds had already gathered.  Artemis was standing behind an altar before the wedding hearth to oversee the vows.  When Will saw the sesame cake on the altar waiting to be dedicated as an offering to Gaea, he was tempted to snatch it up and eat it.  

Between his headache and resisting the urge to steal food that was meant for the gods, Will found it difficult to concentrate.  He wasn’t listening as Artemis spoke and didn’t realize she’d asked them to chant the vows until Nico began — “Wherever you go, so shall I,” he said.

“Wherever you go, so shall I,” Will echoed.

Artemis broke off a piece of the sesame cake and gave half to Will and half to Nico — their share of Gaea’s offering.  Will had never liked Plutonian sesame cakes — they tended to taste bland and dry — but to his hungry body, the single bite he was allowed was the most amazing thing he’d ever eaten.  Will wished Gaea would share more, but the rest was thrown into the wedding hearth for the goddess.

In Jupiter, the procession happened before the feast, but in Pluto, the procession took place later in the day.  Will had never been more grateful for cultural differences as they were led to the Royal Opera House for the wedding banquet.

Will had never been inside the Opera House in any of his prior visits.  Nico had told him that it had fallen out of use over the years and due to the expense of upkeep, it had begun to slip into disrepair.  Preparations for the wedding had restored its former beauty.  The fresco ceiling was still yellowed, but that was hardly noticeable against the the gleaming golden columns and polished ornamental filigree.  The walls were made of wood for its effect on acoustics, but were painted to resemble marble so convincingly that when Will touched them, he was surprised that they were not cold.  The Opera House was rounded like a horseshoe, with a large single-level floor that made it suitable for banquets and balls as well as performances.  The next day, the hall would be rearranged with seating for a performance by the Venadican choir following the presentation of gifts, but for the banquet, the floor was furnished with round tables where most of the guests were served.  Other guest dined in boxes along the second and third floors of the Opera House.  Will, his family, and a few designated members of the court joined the royal family in the largest and most decorated box, located on the second floor directly across from the stage.

Will didn’t have to wait long before he was served a plate of roast pork with greens and sesame cakes and wasted no time stuffing his face as politely as he possibly could.  He occupied himself by looking at the crowds of guests while eating and spotted Cecil with his husband affectionately sharing their food on the third floor.  Emmie and Jo were seated below them and Will was glad to see that they had Octavian contained.  Normally, Will would never ask anyone outside his family to take care of his cousin, but Emmie and Jo had run a children’s ward for years and were more than capable of handing Octavian, so he had requested they monitor him during the banquet.

Cal, however, was not as level-headed.  Even from a distance, it was obvious that she wanted to strangle him.

Will frowned when he noticed Leo wasn’t with them.  He didn’t see him when he scanned the floor.  To Will’s surprise, he found Leo in the next box over with the Duke of Vulcan.  He was standing beside Hephaestus’s chair and fiddling with one of his original contraptions while he babbled the duke’s ear off.

“Oh dear,” Will whispered.

Will had always been proud to call Leo his friend, but there was a clear disparity between their upbringings.  It was only because of Leo’s status as a consor that Will had been able to invite him to the wedding.  Leo held no other titles; he was an orphan of common birth and, as a consequence, had never received etiquette lessons.

Other nobles, lacking Will’s experiences as a consor, placed a high importance on courtly social conventions.  Even Will’s family was sometimes guilty of looking down on the mannerisms of commoners.  Will knew that Leo felt unsure of himself at social functions and worried about doing or saying something wrong.  Although he liked Leo just the way he was, he also wanted to protect Leo from embarrassment.  Will, Cal, Emmie, and Jo had taught him courtly rules of decorum in preparation for the wedding, but they appeared to have forgotten to mention that hovering over dukes during feasts and bringing inventions to the table was not typically considered acceptable behavior.  Leo had always worshiped Hephaestus like a hero and he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t impress him.

Will was about to make excuses to leave his seat and help Leo when he noticed that while some of the people sitting around Hephaestus appeared shocked, Hephaestus himself didn’t seem bothered at all.  In fact, he looked interested and was nodding along as Leo talked.

Will smiled in relief.  He should have trusted that Leo could handle the situation on his own.  Will liked Leo best when he was simply being himself, and it seemed as though Hephaestus liked that Leo, too.

When Will turned back to his own table, he was surprised to see Nico watching him.  “Your Highness?” he asked.

“You seem hungry,” Nico observed, glancing at Will’s nearly empty plate.  No one else had even half-finished the course.

“I haven’t had anything to eat all day,” Will said sheepishly.

“Poor you,” Nico cooed, subtly crossing his pinky with Will’s.  “If you were too busy to even eat, then I suppose I can forgive you for ignoring me earlier.”

Will moved his hand to link their fingers.  “It wasn’t my intention to ignore you.  On the contrary, today I have been deprived of both food and you.”

Nico’s eyes glinted.  “I see.  What a cruel fate you have been forced to endure.”

“Cruel indeed,” Will agreed.  “But now I’m no longer hungry and tonight, I’ll have my fill of you.”

Nico hummed in amusement.  “Patience, Will.  You need only wait a few more hours.”

When he felt Nico’s ankle link around his own, Will shyly glanced away and caught sight of Michael watching them with his lip curled in disgust.  He mouthed a few words to Will across the table, and although Will couldn’t tell what he was saying, the message was clear enough.

Will took his hand off of Nico’s and reached for his tableware instead, but didn’t move his leg away.  He gave Nico an apologetic smile.  Nico nodded in understanding and tapped his shoe against Will’s as if to comfort him with secret physical affection.

Will sometimes teased Nico’s eagerness, but truthfully, Will was just as impatient.  He wanted to kiss Nico and to hold Nico without worrying about proper restraint.  He wanted to be alone with Nico behind closed doors, with no chaperones to stop them from expressing their love.

For the moment, Will was contented to wait and enjoy the banquet over the next few courses.  Just after sunset, they exited the palace through the Hall of Gold for the procession.  The sky was black, but it was not dark.  The steps outside the Palatium de Divitae were illuminated by lanterns held by the guests lining either side of the stairs.  The guests chanted hymns to Gaea and Aeon as Artemis led Will and Nico past them, to where their chariot waited.

Will’s ermine cape felt heavy around his shoulders as it dragged behind him.  He remembered the particular arrangement of spots on the fur — a pattern reserved for royalty.  He idly thought that the feeling was strangely symbolic — with a prince as his husband, Will was suddenly allowed to wear that pattern, but he would bear its weight regardless of whether he chose to wear it.

When they reached the foot of the stairs, Will offered Nico his hand to help him into the open chariot before following.  Their capes were carefully draped on the seat behind them, should they tire and chose to sit down, but they had been instructed to stand as they were pulled into the city.  They held the railing in front of them to keep their balance as the chariot began to roll away with guards stationed to march on either side.

For a moment after they left the palace, it was dark.  With the sun gone, the Plutonian air was beginning to feel too cool for Will’s comfort.  He didn’t speak.  The ride was silent apart from gravel crunching under the wheels of the carriage and the guards’ feet.  Dots of yellow light in the distance announced they were nearing the city, where Divitians waited for their arrival.

Will had been prepared for the sight of Divitia decorated for the wedding.  He had traveled through the city and had already seen the banners and garlands hanging from the buildings.  

Will had been prepared for the light.  Using torchlight to ward off evil spirits and light the procession was part of an old Plutonian wedding tradition.  Some of the Divitians held lanterns, others candles, and some carried old-fashioned torches.

Will had not been prepared for the noise.  They heard it even from a distance — the cheering crowds, the chanted hymns, the indistinct chatter.  By the time they entered the city, the sound had grown to a roar.

Divitia wasn’t as lively a city as Phoebus.  Every time Will had travelled through the city, it had seemed more empty than his hometown.  But that night, as the wedding procession rolled through Divitia’s roads, it looked even larger and more populous than he’d ever seen Phoebus.  The noise of the crowd reverberated in Will’s ears so loudly that he feared the return of his headache.  Divitians shouted as they threw wildflowers their way — some landing inside the carriage, others on the road behind them and in front of them.

“They’ve never been so happy to see me,” Nico suddenly said, nearly yelling to be heard over the crowd.  “I’m usually greeted with scornful glares, perhaps an assassination attempt or two—”

“Assassination?” Will repeated.  “You’re not serious.”

“It only happens occasionally,” Nico said, like that was supposed to comfort Will.  “But they’re so happy.  I’ve never seen them this happy before.”

Will placed his hand over Nico’s on the rail and squeezed it.  “Of course they’re happy to see their prince married.  Weddings are always cause for celebration.”

“Perhaps,” Nico said.  “But I think there’s something else.  I think it’s you.  Do you know what everyone is saying about you, Will?”

Will shook his head.

“Lady Reyna was teasing me yesterday about how the entire court was happy that I’d finally found someone to marry.  It’s partially true that they’re relieved because my history with suitors worried them, but they’re also extremely pleased with you.  Earlier, my father praised you.  He called you impressive and told me I’d chosen well.”

“The king said that?” Will asked.  He had been afraid of the king at first, and although he’d since learned that he was relatively harmless, Hades still intimidated him.

“You are going to be a wonderful consort, Will,” Nico said.  “You’re a consor, you come from a good family, and there’s something about you that makes people feel hopeful — happy, even.  Divitia isn’t just celebrating their prince’s wedding.  I think this is a welcome for you.”

Will tore his eyes away from Nico’s to look at the assembled crowd.  As an illegitimate child, he’d never been particularly important.  He’d always assumed he’d marry downward — perhaps to an earl or countess — if he’d marry at all.  Even after being engaged to a prince for two years, he hadn’t fully comprehended the significance of his marriage until seeing the magnitude of the wedding.  Pluto hadn’t had a reason to celebrate for over a decade.  Suddenly, marriage had made Will important.  And even more shockingly, Will was worthy of it.

“I suppose it’s a good thing that you spurned all your suitors before finding me,” Will commented.

Nico clicked his tongue like he was tired of hearing about that, but his expression didn’t look truly irritated.  “Perhaps.  I think I’m fortunate to have found someone who doesn’t mind being compared to animals.”

“I like animals,” Will said.

Nico laughed.  “I know you do.  I would trust no one else to be Asterion’s second father.  You will make me a very happy husband, Will.  I hope I can do the same for you.”

“It’s not difficult to make me happy, Your Highness.  You already do.”  Will almost kissed Nico, but when he remembered where they were, he settled for squeezing Nico’s hand.

And then Nico kissed him instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that. They're married. Do you know what this means?  
> That's right: it's time for the wedding night. There will be a sex scene, but it's not smut. If you chose not to read it, you don't have to worry about missing out on anything big. Story developments in the next update will mostly just be relevant to future explicit content.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry this took so long. Lots of stuff happened.  
> Also it ended up being not very explicit. Please don't be upset, smut-craving readers!

Nico’s day had started off miserable and it didn’t seem like his wedding night was going to be much different.  He was only half-dressed, his room was full of people waiting for the bedding ceremony, and Will was nowhere in sight.  Nico never been so uncomfortable in his life.

He didn’t even feel entirely at home in his new room yet.  Nico had only moved quarters a few weeks prior, relocating from the rooms that were intended for royal children to the apartments designated for the heir to the throne and their consort.  The bedrooms were mostly identical—each had painted ceilings, marble floors, and a small private balcony—but heir’s was gold while the consort’s was silver.  Nico had elected to take the silver room instead, deciding that gold suited Will better.

“I know they’re not as large as your rooms in Diana, but I think you’ll like them anyway,” Nico had said while giving Will a tour of their apartments a few weeks before.  “You’ll have a view of the palace grounds, a personal study with a private library—”

“—and my new husband will be just a few doors away,” Will had said.  “I couldn’t be happier.”  Then he’d kissed Nico, and Nico’s thoughts had wandered to imagine some of the benefits that sharing quarters with his new husband might entail.  He could be alone with Will, hold Will, kiss Will in private, strip Will’s clothes off and lick every inch of his skin—

Nico forced himself to stop fantasizing and attempted to cleanse his mind.  Jules-Albert had already changed him into his nightshirt and dressing gown and the last thing Nico needed was for everyone to notice his body becoming aroused through his thin clothes.  The bedding ceremony was mortifying enough as it was.

Fortunately, Nico was far too nervous and uncomfortable for any such embarrassing autonomic reactions to take place.  Nico didn’t like having guests in his bedroom to begin with, especially not while he was in such an unclothed state, yet the entire Plutonian court was there to witness Nico’s discomfort.  The bedding ceremony was an ancient tradition to ensure that the marriage would be consummated, but Nico thought it seemed more like an invasion of privacy than a political necessity.

Nico glanced at the others again.  Hades was quietly talking to his advisers.  Reyna had been watching him, but politely turned away when Nico looked at her.  Only Persephone held his eye.  She tilted her head toward the crystal cabinet and winked.

Nico flushed.  He hadn’t forgotten about Persephone’s gift.  He didn’t know whether he would use it that evening, but a glass of wine sounded like a welcome antidote for his agitation.

Will finally arrived a moment later, escorted by his father and stepmother, his older siblings, and his aunt.  Will smiled at Nico, but quickly averted his eyes.  He wore a white silk dressing gown covered in colorful floral embroidery.  Nico’s attention drifted to the sash around Will’s waist, imagining himself untying it after everyone left.  He would rip off Will’s dressing gown, toss it aside, and then he’d—

Nico’s cheeks burned and he turned his gaze downwards, once again grateful that he still felt far too uncomfortable for his physical arousal to become embarrassingly apparent.

Artemis stood at the foot of the bed to perform the blessings.  Much of what she said was only a repeat of the vows from earlier that day—prayers to Gaea for gifts, to Aeon for a long-lasting bond, to the Morai for good fortune, and to Rhea for faithfulness—but there were also prayers to the Erotes, asking them to bless Nico and Will’s physical union.  Nico stared at his slippers to avoid eye contact with everyone as the prayers became increasingly embarrassing.  When Nico did muster the courage to glance at Will, Will’s face was bright red while his oldest brother whispered something in his ear.  Will’s eyes drifted to Nico, then he quickly looked away again.

Artemis asked them to come forward and directed their parents to pull back the bed covers.  Nico and Will climbed in to lie side-by-side—Nico on the right, Will on the left—and the blankets were pulled back over them.  Artemis stopped to squeeze Will’s shoulder before the heavy silver curtains around the bed were drawn.  Nico heard the footsteps of everyone leaving the room.  Someone extinguished the lamp, the door shut, and Nico and Will were left in complete darkness.

When the footsteps faded way, the room became quiet and the air felt stiff.  Nico could faintly hear the distant roar of the crowd outside, but it was otherwise so silent that when he swallowed, the noise seemed to echo through the room.  Could Will hear the way his heart was pounding?  Was Nico breathing too heavily?

Will said nothing.  Neither of them dared to move.  Nico didn’t know how long they lay in silence before he finally gathered the courage to speak.

“That was uncomfortable, wasn’t it?” he whispered.

“Yes,” Will croaked.

They fell silent again.

“Do you—” Will started.

“Are you—” Nico began.

They both halted.

“My apologies,” Will said.  “You were saying?”

“No, you speak first,” Nico replied.

“It was nothing.  I was just thinking that it’s awfully dark.”

“Oh,” said Nico.  “Then I’ll turn the lamp back on.”

Will started to speak, but stopped when Nico pulled back the curtain and left the bed to walk blindly to the oil lamp on the crystal cabinet.  He felt around for the lighter, clicked it, and transferred the flame to the oil lamp.  When the light flooded the room, Nico glanced into the crystal cabinet and found the bottle of wine Persephone had promised hiding in the back.  He would have to thank Persephone later.  The wedding night was proving to be far more uncomfortable than Nico had predicted and alcohol had never seemed more appealing.

Nico was still trying to decide how to ask Will if he wanted a drink when the fireworks started.  The crowd outside roared even more loudly.  He supposed that more guests must have started to gather outside to watch.

Nico heard the bed creak, followed by the soft pad of Will’s slippers on the floor.  Will stopped behind Nico and touched his shoulder gently and carefully, like he was afraid of scaring Nico away.  “Would you like to see the fireworks?” he asked.

“Of course,” Nico said, turning back around to face him.  “You can watch them from the balcony, if you’d like.  I’ll join you in a moment.”

Will looked confused, but didn’t question him.  He crossed the room and glanced back at Nico once before walking outside.

Nico quickly opened the door to the crystal cabinet and retrieved the wine and glasses.  How would he offer it to Will?  Would Will think that Nico was trying to get him intoxicated?  Nico admittedly thought it would be nice to drown out his nerves, but he had no intentions of drinking more than a glass or two.  He had promised Persephone that he would remain sober.

Nico decided to pour them each half a glass to start, and then followed Will outside.

Will was leaning against the balustrade, staring up at the sky.  The red glow of a firework lit the side of his face and gleamed against his silk dressing gown.  Will looked over his shoulder as Nico walked out and his eyes settled on the glasses in Nico’s hands.

“I was given this wine as a gift,” Nico stammered.  “I thought we might drink it together, if you’d like.  But we don’t have to if you’d rather not.”

Will looked back up to meet Nico’s eyes, smiled, and said, “I’d like some.”

Nico’s hands shook when he handed Will the glass.  He was grateful that Will didn’t comment.  He just smiled and took a sip as Nico stepped next to him to watch the fireworks.

The balcony was behind a corner on a side of the palace that made it difficult for the crowds to see them, but it still offered a beautiful view of the palace grounds and the fireworks lighting up the night sky.  The crowd was loud and the fireworks were louder, but Nico could still feel the weight of the silence between him and Will.  He hoped the wine would do something to settle the anxiety twisting in his stomach.

“It has a nice, earthy flavor,” Will suddenly commented.  “Who gave it to you?”

“My mother,” Nico said.  “It’s my favorite.”

They were quiet.  Nico took a long drink from his glass.

“Is Asterion with Reyna?” Will asked.

“Yes,” Nico answered.

Again, they were quiet.  Nico glanced at the side of Will’s face to watch the red light of the fireworks dance over his cheeks.  He tried to take another sip of wine, but realized he’d already downed the entire glass.

“It’s a bit cold,” Will said.

“I suppose so,” Nico replied.

It wasn’t cold.  Nico didn’t think so, anyway.  Perhaps it had been a subtle ploy to lure Nico into sharing his body heat.

Nico stepped a bit closer to test his theory, but noticed Will’s teeth chattering.  Not a ploy, then.  Will really was that overly sensitive to cool weather.

Before Nico could feel too disappointed, Will’s knuckles brushed against his.  Nico’s little finger hooked around Will’s, and then Will held his hand.

“It _is_ a bit cold,” Nico said, even though it wasn’t.  “Perhaps we should go back inside where it’s warmer.”

Nico squeezed Will’s hand and brought him back into his bedroom, but he didn’t know what to say or how to move forward.  Why was it that his attraction to Will was overwhelming at the most inconvenient times, but he didn’t know what to do when he finally was allowed to act on it?  He blamed the bedding ceremony.  If it hadn’t been for that ridiculous ritual making him feel so uncomfortable, Nico surely would have gotten Will out of his clothes by then.  The entire point of the bedding ceremony was to ensure the marriage would be consummated, but in Nico’s opinion, it had only made consummation unnecessarily difficult.

“Would you like more wine?” Nico asked.

Will took Nico’s glass instead.  “I’ll serve.  Why don’t you have a seat?”  He nodded toward the bed.

Nico was glad that Will turned away, because his face was already burning at the mere thought of getting back in bed with Will.  Did Will intend to start the process already, or was Nico reading too far into things?  Where should he even sit?  If he climbed into the bed and sat on the far side, would he seem too presumptuous?  Should should he sit on the edge instead?

He was still debating when Will appeared behind him again.  “What’s wrong?” Will asked.

“Nothing,” Nico answered, quickly perching on the edge of the bed.

Will looked unconvinced, but handed Nico his glass and sat down beside him.  “I was thinking that we could just talk for awhile,” Will said.

Nico was a bit disappointed, but mostly relieved.  He wasn’t certain if he was ready to proceed yet.  “What did you want to talk about?” he asked.

“I don’t know.  Anything you’d like.”

Will paused.  Nico didn’t know what to say.

Eventually, Will cleared his throat and said, “Well, I, for one, am glad that today is over.  I was miserable until I finally met with you this afternoon.  My bathing ceremony was a disaster.”

Thank the gods that Will had thought of something before the silence became awkward again.  “Mine was terrible, too,” Nico said. “What happened at yours?”

“Family discourse,” Will said.  “Lee and Michael nearly started a fight, but they managed to overcome their differences in favor of teasing me.  The whole family has been on edge lately...probably because they’ve been forced to be around Octavian so much.”

“Is Octavian really that bad?”

“Gods, he’s impossible.”  Will sighed before taking a deep drink from his wine glass.  “He actually stormed out of my bathing ceremony after a small family argument.  I confess that I’m glad he did.  The whole thing would have been worse if he’d stayed.”

Nico laughed.  Will usually avoided talking about his cousin, but the few stories he’d told had given Nico enough information to know that Octavian was not a likable person.  “When will I have the pleasure of meeting your cousin?” he asked.

Will’s lip curled.  “Never, hopefully.”

“I think it’s strange that your family has been in the palace for a month and I have rarely even seen him.”

“‘Strange?’” Will repeated.  “‘Fortunate’ would be a better word.  My family has been monitoring Octavian to ensure that he has minimal contact with your family.  I even had Lady Reyna order your guards to consider Octavian a threat to your security.”

Nico snorted.  “I’m sure,” he said.

“But Octavian isn’t the only reason my family has been so emotional lately,” Will said.  “My father has been especially distressed.  He misses Hyacinthus, he’s losing a child to marriage, and to make matters worse, Kayla told me earlier today that she is considering joining the Sorority.”

“Why would that make things worse?  Shouldn’t he be proud?”

“Under normal circumstances, yes, but I predict that he won’t handle that information well.  He’s already bitter that my aunt Artemis steals me away for half the year and he won’t be pleased if he discovers that she has corrupted another one of his children.”

“Corrupted?  The _Matestra?”_

“My father has a peculiar way of viewing the world,” Will said.  “But that is another conversation entirely.  Tell me, why was _your_ bathing ceremony so unpleasant?”

Nico sighed and prepared himself with another gulp of wine.  “My father was...well.  Himself.  Prince Jason was annoying, as usual, and Prince Percy does not know how to keep his clothes on.  He obviously doesn’t understand Plutonian bathing ceremonies.”

Will looked amused, but asked, “Are Neptunian and Plutonian bathing ceremonies so different?”

“Haven’t I told you about Prince Percy’s bathing ceremony?” Nico asked.

Will shook his head.

“Well, it was terrible,” Nico said.  “Mostly I was referring to the...um... _social_ nature of Neptunian baths.  At Prince Percy’s bathing ceremony, both he and Prince Jason were naked in the pool.  The whole thing was quite confusing and distressing.  It got worse when I watched you race just after I escaped.  I was even more confused and distressed to see my fiancé without a waistcoat, especially when I couldn’t stop thinking about naked men.”

Will laughed and Nico felt the blood rush to his face in embarrassment when he realized what he’d just admitted.  Oh, yes— _that_ was why he’d never told Will what had happened at Percy’s bathing ceremony.  “I think I’ve had enough wine for one evening,” Nico announced, but he’d hardly even half finished the glass.  He always talked too much when he was nervous, which was part of the reason it had taken him so long to get engaged.  “I didn’t mean to say something so offensive.”

“I’m not offended,” Will said as Nico reached over him to set down his glass on the bedside table.  “Tell me, Your Highness, if seeing me without a waistcoat bothered you so much, how do you feel about seeing me in my dressing gown?”

_“Will.”_

Will laughed softly and set his glass aside, too.  “I shouldn’t tease,” he said.  “I know it’s difficult for you to talk about such things.”

“I’ve been trying to do better,” Nico said.  Hestia and Persephone had advised Nico to be more open with Will about his feelings.  They told him that it would ultimately be better for their relationship if he felt more comfortable being honest with Will.

Will smiled as he stroked his fingers through Nico’s hair.  “So have I.  I am learning to understand how you express your feelings—your physical gestures, the way you look at me, and the subtleties in the words you chose—but I also know that you have been working hard for me.  I can see a massive change in your language when I reread your letters.”

“I’m glad.  Sometimes I worry that....”  Nico stopped abruptly as Will’s words sunk in.  “Wait a moment.  You reread my letters?”

Will’s eyes drifted away.  “It’s silly, isn’t it?”

“No.  No, it’s not.  I do, too.  I keep your letters and I reread them when I miss you.  Actually, I have them all right here.”

Nico slipped off the bed and rummaged underneath until he found the box he kept hidden there.  He pulled it out, stood back up, opened the latch and presented it to Will.

Will hesitated before he accepted the box.  He ran his fingers over the paper silently as Nico took a seat beside him.  “You kept all of them?” he asked.

“Yes,” Nico replied.  “Every single one.  I liked reading them.”

Will rifled through the letters.  At the sight of one, he suddenly stopped and pulled it out.   _“I_ wrote this?”

Nico leaned on Will’s shoulder to read the opening words: _My dearest prince._ “Don’t you remember?” Nico asked.

“I don’t recall being so bold.  I was so afraid of offending you.”

“That changed after I visited the Expo.  Before that, you were always formal and polite, but afterwards, your letters began to read more like love letters.”

“And did you like that?” Will asked.

“Gods above, yes.  Suddenly, the person I was falling in love with had started to woo me.  I sometimes imagined your voice saying these things to me out loud.”

“But can you imagine how Hedge would react if he overheard me call you ‘my dearest prince’?” Will laughed.  “He’d be furious.”

“I don’t particularly care what Hedge would think.   _I_ would like it.”  He scooted closer and added, “Although I’d prefer to hear you call me your ‘dear husband.’”

“My dear husband,” Will repeated, brushing his hand through Nico’s hair.  “I like the way that sounds.”

Nico leaned into Will’s hand and hummed in agreement.  “So do I,” he said.  “And I have been thinking—now that we’re husbands, there’s no need for you to address me as ‘Your Highness’ anymore.  Not in private.”

The easy smile on Will’s face flickered.  “That’s...you’re asking me to...?”

Nico took Will’s hand and kissed his knuckles.  “I’d like you to use my given name.  In this room and when we are alone, I’d like you to call me ‘Nico.’”

Will looked shocked.  He remained silent for a moment, but then he wet his lips and said, “Nico.”

Nico smiled.  “I think I like that best.”

“Then that’s what I’ll call you,” Will said.  “My dear Nico.  I think I like that best, too.”

Nico kissed Will’s knuckles again, then spread Will’s fingers open and kissed his palm, then the inside of his wrist.  Will leaned forward to steal Nico’s lips.  They kissed a few times before Will broke away and whispered, “I can’t believe you kept all my letters.”

“Your letters are treasures to me,” Nico said.  “Have I ever told you that it was through your letters that I began to fall in love with you?  Before I knew what was happening, I was already completely infatuated.”

“I think it was the same for me,” Will said.  “I admired you as a child, but my feelings were...juvenile.  It’s different now.  There were moments when I read your letters that I had to stop and think, ‘This is real.  The Prince of Pluto wrote this to me personally.’  You sent me your thoughts and feelings and I grew to know you as a person, rather than as an idol.  Now I love you more deeply...and perhaps a bit more selfishly, too.”

“Selfishly?” Nico asked, intrigued by the implications of what that might mean.  “How’s that?”

“I want to be with you constantly,” Will said.  His fingers stroked Nico’s hair.  “I want to be closer—to know more about you, to be part of your life, to use your given name.  I want to touch you like this.  I want to kiss you.  I want to lie beside you and hold you while we sleep.  So as you might imagine, I am very, very happy right now.”  He shifted closer.  “And Nico?”

Nico had severely underestimated how much he would like hearing Will use his given name.  He couldn’t manage more than a garbled noise that sounded like, “Hn?”

“I would like to kiss you now.  Would you like that, too?”

“Please.”

Will leaned forward, pressed his forehead against Nico’s, and Nico held his breath until Will closed the gap between them.  The kiss was soft, yet deep and passionate in a way that made Nico feel like his bones were liquid.  They parted, then Will kissed him again, then Nico kissed Will, and soon it became clear that it wouldn’t end with just kisses.

It was happening.  How many times had Nico played out this scenario in his mind?  How many times had he imagined his wedding night or woken up covered in sweat after a heated dream?  He had eagerly awaited his wedding night for so long, but suddenly it all seemed to be happening too quickly.

Nico understood consummation only in theory.  He had received instruction on how it worked mechanically, but he still felt utterly unprepared.  How did one go about initiating it?  How would Nico be able to deal with the embarrassment?  Would he even be able to meet Will’s eyes?  What would they say to each other?  Were they supposed to talk during, or should they remain silent?

Nico thought he saw a spark of nervousness in Will’s eyes.  He might have imagined it, but perhaps Will was having the same thoughts as Nico.  He took a deep breath, placed his hands on Will’s shoulders, and straddled his lap.

“Is this alright?” Nico asked.

Will nodded.  “Yes.”

Nico cleared his throat.  “I think that we should continue kissing now.”

“Kissing seems like a good point to start from.”

“And then, when we’re ready....”

“Yes.  When we’re ready.”

They kissed again, but it felt too distant.  Nico slipped his arms behind Will’s neck and Will wrapped his arms around Nico’s waist.  When Nico held Will more tightly and deepened the kiss, Will responded in kind, but something was still missing.  Nico craved something else—something less static.

“May I....”  Nico’s hand hovered over Will’s arm.  He mimed touching Will.

Will nodded.  “And may I?”

“Yes,” Nico answered.

Their lips met again.  Nico ran his hand down Will’s sleeve, he combed through Will’s hair, and his fingers curiously wandered to touch Will’s side.  Will’s hands slid up Nico’s arms and his back, dragging thin fabric over Nico’s skin.  The sound of their kisses was only interrupted by the occasional whispered question.  “Do you like this?” they would ask.  “May I touch here?”

This was what Nico had been craving—active, dynamic touch.  Will’s hands were on his sides, his back, his waist.  They were touching him, stroking him, driving him mad.  Will’s hand had scarcely touched his waist, but it still sent shivers through Nico’s body.  How could every single touch make him react so strongly?  Finally, Nico reached for the sash on Will’s dressing gown and struggled to untie it with shaking, fumbling hands.  He was mesmerized by the way Will rolled his shoulders to shrug it off when Nico finally managed to get it open.

“Mine, too,” Nico said.  He grabbed Will’s wrist and pulled his hand to the knot on the front of his own clothes.

Will untied the sash and Nico’s dressing gown fell to the floor.  He kissed the corner of Nico’s mouth, then his jaw, and then his lips trailed towards Nico’s neck.  Nico gasped when Will’s lips grazed beneath his ear.  Without thinking, he pushed Will away, slamming his shoulders into the bed beneath them.  “Sorry,” Nico said, quickly releasing him.

Will didn’t move.  He stared up at Nico, laying on top of the blue silk that lined the inside of his dressing gown.  His eyes were large and black, his lips dark and wet.  Nico could see freckles dotting the skin exposed by the wide collar of his nightshirt.  How many times had Nico wondered whether the freckles on Will’s face and arms extended to his chest?

Will reached up and wrapped his arms around Nico’s neck.  “I don’t mind,” he whispered, pulling Nico closer.

Nico had always expected that Will would be meek on their wedding night, but he’d been wrong.  Will wasn’t merely allowing it.  He was reciprocating, even _initiating_ , and it drove Nico mad to think that Will wanted this, wanted _him...._

And then Will was on top of him, bending over him, kissing him, and Nico felt dwarfed and powerless.  He’d imagined Will in that position more than he cared to admit, but he’d never expected that fantasy to become reality.  And yet there was Will—gentle, soft, kind Will—poised dominantly over Nico, yet still somehow docile and yielding when Nico pushed up into his kiss.  Will opened up to him and accepted him, and it made him seem just as vulnerable as Nico felt.

Nico rubbed his palms up and down Will’s thighs like he’d yearned to for months.  He couldn’t stop himself from exploring, grasping Will’s legs and testing how they felt in his hands.  Will didn’t ask him to stop or give any indication of discomfort, not even when Nico’s exploration led his hands higher on Will’s body, under his nightshirt—

Will bowed his head and let Nico pull his nightshirt off his body.  Nico tossed it aside, letting it land somewhere on the floor beside the bed.  When Will started to pull up Nico’s, Nico quickly scrambled to sit up and help Will remove it.

Nico had barely gotten the chance to admire Will when Will kissed him again and whispered, “How do you want to do this?”

Nico’s face burned.  He’d received instruction on what to do in both roles, and both appealed to him.  He wanted _everything._ He wanted all of Will’s body, he wanted to be inside Will, he wanted Will to be inside him, and he didn’t know what he wanted most or which to do first.  He wanted to do odd, shameless things like rub himself against Will’s thigh until he climaxed.  He wanted to have his hands full of Will’s hair or Will’s skin.  He had spent night after night imagining all sorts of things he wanted to do with Will in bed, but he was too embarrassed to say any of that out loud.

“I don’t know,” he finally answered.

“Then...would you like me to show you how I like it?”

Nico’s body flared with heat.  “Gods, yes,” he said.  The idea of Will showing him what he liked was unbelievably erotic, beyond even his most obscene fantasies.  Suddenly, Nico was buzzing, throbbing, burning, just because of Will’s words.

Will had never seemed more captivating to Nico.  He’d been attracted to Will for a long time, but Will’s sensuality had always been passive; Nico had projected an aura of allure on Will, perceiving a seductive magnetism even when Will’s intentions were clearly pure.  That night, however, Will radiated passion.  He took Nico’s hand and showed Nico how to touch him, and just when Nico assumed that Will meant to play the penetrating role, Will touched Nico the same way.

Something within Nico, some carefully restrained emotion, suddenly broke free and flooded his body, rushed down his limbs until it filled even his fingers and toes.  Nico found himself babbling uncontrollably, blurting out that Will was perfect and gorgeous.  Embarrassing declarations of love slipped through his lips—words that he’d been too nervous or too proud to use before.  Was it the wine still loosening his tongue?  No, it couldn’t be.  Nico had never been so bold when he’d had wine before.  Nico had never felt quite so weightless, so delirious, so vulnerable, and he certainly had never welcomed those feelings the way he did right then.

But Will— _Will._ It was like he was hanging on Nico’s every word.  He looked at Nico with such adoration and awe.  He answered every one of Nico’s praises and declarations of love with his own.

Nico didn’t understand what was happening.  He was confused.  This was not going according to the instructions he had received, they were not touching each other the way he had been told to, and it was so much more passionate, so much _deeper_ and more intense than he had ever been led to expect.  He had been told that it might feel pleasing, but _‘pleasure’_ couldn’t describe the flooding of Nico’s senses.  He felt like the heavens had opened up to him.  It was like he was completely _connected_ to Will—he was in Will and Will was in him, their souls wrapped together in such a tight embrace that Nico doubted they’d return to their bodies without taking a piece of the other with them.

Nico didn’t understand what was happening.  But Nico didn’t care.  Nico wanted it to never stop; he wanted to be that close to Will forever, to remain in that bed with his skin touching Will’s and their hearts melded together, floundering in the tide of love that threatened to consume them.

What was Will feeling?  Was this as intense and pleasing for him as it was for Nico?  Did Nico’s hand even come close to driving him as wild as Will’s drove Nico?  Did Nico look even half as beautiful to Will’s eyes as Will did to his?

It was that image that sent him over the edge.  He hadn’t expected it to happen so suddenly or so quickly, and he felt instantly mortified.  They hadn’t consummated the marriage, they hadn’t reached for the lubricant, and they hadn’t even decided who would be in which role, but Nico had already been overwhelmed.  “Oh gods,” Nico whispered. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Why are you apologizing?” Will asked.  “I wanted you to.”

And then Will kissed Nico and asked for permission to continue.  Nico granted it, then Will touched him, Nico touched him back, and it was somehow still amazingly good until Will finished, too.  Nico fell back in the bed beside Will when it was over, holding his hand and catching his breath.

Nico turned to look at Will.  Will turned, too.  Something bubbled up inside Nico’s chest until suddenly he was laughing, and so was Will.  Nico still wasn’t certain what had just happened, but he knew that he’d liked it.  He could worry about consummating the marriage later.  For a few moments, he was content to do nothing but kiss and laugh and exchange a few affectionate nonsense words with his new husband.

Just when Nico was starting to feel sleepy, Will kissed his forehead and said, “Shall we clean ourselves off?”

Nico grabbed Will’s arm to keep him from getting up.  “Already?”

“I suppose it can wait, but I’d prefer not to make more of a mess than we already have.”

Nico frowned.  “Aren’t we going to do that anyway?”

Will laughed.  “Are you not finished yet?”

Nico paused and tried to figure out what Will meant.  “Will,” he said slowly.  “We still have to consummate the marriage.”

Will’s brow wrinkled.  “We just...” he started, then his face broke into a grin.  “Did you want to do it again?”

“I...yes?” Nico answered.  Did Will think that what they’d done before was enough to consummate the marriage?  Did Will not understand how consummation worked?  Regardless, doing it again sounded nice.

“You’re certainly eager,” said Will, crawling over to kiss Nico.

Nico was still confused, but when his lips parted against Will’s in a deep, heated kiss, the only thing that seemed important was that Will was naked in his bed.  He was melting under Will’s soft mouth, consumed by the faint taste of sesame cakes, honey, and wine lingering on Will’s tongue.  Nico’s body felt powerless, but he didn’t mind—he wanted to be overpowered by Will’s intoxicating touch and to lose himself in their passionate embrace.

Nico didn’t hear Asterion at first.  He was displeased when Will suddenly pulled away and looked at the door, but once the blood stopped pounding in his ears, he heard the faint sound of claws against wood.

“Asterion,” Nico mumbled, groggily rolling out from underneath Will to get out of the bed.  He found his dressing gown on the floor and threw it over himself on the way to the door.  As soon as Nico turned the handle, Asterion happily pushed his way inside.

“He usually stays with me at night,” Nico explained as Asterion trotted past him to greet Will.  “It’ll be a bit cramped, but if you don’t mind...?”

“Of course not,” Will said.  Asterion nudged his hand to signal that he was ready for petting.  “Our darling son is always welcome to stay.”

Nico nearly melted watching Will coo over Asterion, and decided to forget about consummation for the time being.  They would have plenty of time to worry about it later.  He doubted that they would be able to accomplish anything with Asterion in the room, anyway.

He and Will cleaned themselves off at the washbasin and changed back into their nightshirts before climbing into bed with Asterion.  Will took the left side and Asterion managed to use half the bed on his own, so Nico found himself wedged between them in the center.  Fortunately, it offered a pleasant excuse for him and Will to fumble their way around figuring out how to hold each other while they slept.  They ended up facing each other, their legs tangled together while Will rested his head on Nico’s arm.  

“I don’t have to leave tonight,” Will whispered.

“We can stay together until morning,” Nico said.  “And we can stay together tomorrow night, and the night after that.”

Will hummed when Nico pecked his lips.  “I’ve been waiting for this a long time.  Being able to stay together alone, uninterrupted...just you, me, and Asterion.”

Nico tried to stifle his laughter in Will’s hair, but Will pulled back to kiss him.  Then they kissed again, and again, until Nico started to lose himself in the memories of what it had been like to touch Will, to be touched by Will, and to hear Will say, ‘ _Would you like me to show you how I like it?’_

What had Will meant by that?  Nico had assumed that Will had been referring to which role he wanted to take in the consummation, but evidently he’d been wrong.  Will had instead given Nico specific instructions on how to use his hands.  How would Will have known what felt good unless...?

Nico broke away from the kiss.  “May I ask something?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“‘Nico.’  Call me Nico.”

Will’s lips slid into a small, blissful smile.  “Nico,” he murmured happily.  “It may take some time before I get used to that.  What did you want to ask?”

“I’ve been thinking about what you said before, about how you like it...did you mean with hands?  By yourself?”

Will looked at Nico curiously.  “Haven’t you?” he asked.

Nico blushed and shook his head.  “No.”

“But you must have felt aroused at some point,” Will said.  “I know you did.  How did you take care of it?”

“Take care of it...?” Nico repeated.  “I didn’t.”  He paused, then admitted, “Well, sometimes I’d...against my bed.”

“Oh,” Will said.  “I see.  Well, it’s easier if you use your hands, I think.”

“Doesn’t it...uh....”  Nico hesitated, realizing that his question would probably make him sound horribly ignorant.  Will looked at him patiently until Nico cleared his throat and whispered, “Won’t it make you go blind?”

Will chuckled a bit, but Nico was relieved when he didn’t outright laugh at him or tease him.  “Of course not.  It doesn’t cause hair to grow on your hands, either.”

That had been Nico’s next question, but he didn’t admit it.  “And clearly it doesn’t cause...uh...impotency?”

“Why would it cause impotency?”

Nico cleared his throat.  “You might...run out,” he explained.

Will looked puzzled.  “Run out of what?”

“Of...well.  If you...um...expel fluids every time, eventually you won’t have any left.”

Will stared at Nico in silence.  Nico grimaced.  “I just said something very foolish, didn’t I?”

Will was quiet for another second before answering.  “It doesn’t cause impotency,” he assured.

“Right,” Nico whispered, slowly trying to digest the information.  “I was told that touching oneself was shameful.”

“Shameful?” Will repeated.  “It is a healthy response to typical bodily functioning.  Why is it shameful?”

“I...do not know.”

“Do _you_ think it’s shameful?”

Nico wasn’t sure.  He’d never questioned it before, but now he wondered.  Why had he believed it was shameful to begin with?  Logically speaking, it didn’t seem to make sense.  If it didn’t blind him, cause hair to grow on his hands, or make him impotent, then what exactly was the harm?  Besides, _Will_ had done it.

“If it is shameful, I do not care,” Nico decided.  Bitterly, he realized that he could have given into his excitement without feeling ashamed every time that he’d fantasized about Will.  If he could have made himself feel even half as wonderful as he had that evening, it seemed foolish not to have indulged himself all along.

Nico’s eyes widened as another thought occurred to him.  If Will had indulged in touching himself, then didn’t that mean that Will had fantasized, as well?

“Will?”

“Yes?”

“Did you think about me?”

“When?”

“When you...used your hands.”

“Oh.”  Will paused thoughtfully.  “It wasn’t like that.  For me, it’s...physical.  Somatic.  That’s all.  It’s a sign that my body is healthy, or a normal expression of health, or a normal result of health, or...I don’t know.  I’m aware that most people think differently.”

“So you didn’t think about me that way?” Nico asked, struck by a sudden pang of insecurity and loneliness.  He’d started to hope that he and Will had endured the same consuming want.  If _Will_ felt that way, then Nico’s feelings weren’t shameful at all.  But if Will didn’t....

“Nico,” Will said softly.  “I love you.  You know that, don’t you?”

Nico couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips.  “I know.”

“Touching myself is about feeling good physically.  This—” Will gestured between them, “—is something else entirely.  It just didn’t occur to me to connect my body and my love for you.”

Nico noted Will’s use of the past tense.  “Do you still feel that way?”

“Yes...and no,” said Will.  “When I realized that you wanted to be intimate with me, I started to want it, too, because I knew it would make you happy.  But later, it began to appeal to me in other ways.  I started to crave being close to you and touching you.  I was looking forward to tonight.  I think that the way I feel about it is still somehow different, but I don’t believe that’s a problem.”

“And did you like it?”

“Being intimate with you?  Of course I did.  I liked it very much and I would like to do it again.”

“So then, if I were to say that I _did_ think about you that way....”

“I know you did.”

Nico’s face burned and he almost argued defensively, but when he saw the way Will was smiling at him kindly, it completely disarmed him.  “That doesn’t bother you?” Nico asked.

“Not at all.  It’s perfectly normal.”

“And not shameful?”

“Not shameful.”

“Good,” Nico said.  “Because I thought about you a _lot._ You have no idea how desperately I’ve been waiting for tonight.”

“You weren’t alone,” Will assured.  “I wanted to marry you so badly.  In fact, the only thing I wasn’t looking forward to about our marriage was the prospect of facing Plutonian winters.  You know how I hate the cold.”

“Then come to my bed and I’ll help you stay warm.”

Will laughed.  “I was hoping you’d say that.  But I think I might come to you in the spring and summer, too, if it means we can lie together like this.”

“Well, I was planning to do a little bit more than lie together.”

“Like what?” Will asked.  Nico wasn’t sure if Will was teasing or if he really didn’t understand what Nico had in mind.

“Firstly, I’d get rid of your clothes,” Nico said.

Will laughed when Nico’s hands slipped under his nightshirt.  Nico pushed him back against the bed and climbed on top of him.  Will’s arms wrapped around Nico’s shoulders and pulled him close.  “Haven’t you had enough yet?” Will asked teasingly.

“I’ll never have enough,” Nico answered.  He tried to wrestle Will out of his nightshirt, but Will’s body suddenly went stiff.

“Wait, stop,” Will said.  “I can’t do this with Asterion watching.”

Nico had nearly forgotten that they weren’t alone.  He looked over his shoulder to find Asterion lying with his head between his paws, watching them curiously.  His tail started to thud against the bed when he noticed both Will and Nico paying attention to him.

Nico was torn between laughing at Will for being ridiculous and agreeing with him, but either way, Asterion’s presence made bedding his new husband impossible.  Ultimately, even Nico’s desire for Will wasn’t strong enough to give him the heart to kick Asterion out, so he just sighed and helped Will fix his nightshirt.  “I promised him that he could still share my bed after I married you.”

“Just when I thought we’d be free of chaperones,” Will mumbled, but he didn’t look upset.  He reached across the bed to pat Asterion’s head, and then Nico snuggled between them again.  With Asterion’s heat at his back and Will’s against his front, Nico felt more at peace than he had been in a very long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this? A somewhat timely update?  
> (Slight adult content towards the end, if that makes you uncomfortable.)

When Nico woke up the next morning, he was alone.  It took him a moment to realize that something was wrong; with Asterion getting older, it wasn’t uncommon for him to get up to relieve himself while Nico was still sleeping.  Once Nico recalled Will staying with him the night before, he bolted upright and looked around his room for any sign of him.  The space beside him in the bed had been slept in, but Will himself was nowhere to be seen.  Had he left?  Where was he?  Had he gone to his own bed?  What was he doing?  Why...?

A sudden memory flashed through Nico’s mind—a terrible morning in the Lotussium, years ago, when he woke up to find Asterion missing from his bed.  They’d stolen Asterion away while Nico was sleeping, and by the time Nico finally found him—

Nico shook his head to banish the thought.  That would not happen.  Nico had been promised that Asterion would never be taken from him again.  Asterion was safe and Will would be safe, too.  No one would come to steal Will away.

There was a quiet knock on the door to his bedroom before it opened and Will’s blond head poked in.  Nico let out a breath in relief, like he hadn’t quite managed to convince himself that everything was fine until that moment.

Will smiled and asked, “May I come in, Your Highness?”

“Of course,” Nico answered.  

Will stepped inside and shut the door behind him, then stood in front of it with a lost, shy expression.  “I...uh...good morning,” he greeted.

“Good morning,” Nico answered, tucking a loose lock of hair behind his ear.  More memories flashed through his head, this time of what had occurred the night before—the hands, the kisses, the flushed cheeks, and the mess of their arousal....

Nico swallowed and gathered his courage before continuing to speak.  “I was surprised when I woke to find you missing.”

Will nodded and stepped inside a bit further.  “I’m usually an early riser.  I didn’t want to wake you, so I sorted through my belongings and then I sat down in the common room to read for a while.”

“How long have you been awake?” Nico asked.

“Dawn, I think.”

“So early?” Nico asked.  “Why, Will, you must be a lark.”

Will laughed softly and moved towards the bed, but stopped at the edge without joining Nico in it.  “I can be your lark.”

 _“My_ lark?  Then will you sing for me every morning?”

Will carefully sat on Nico’s bed, like he wasn’t sure if he should be there or not.  “I’m afraid that I’m not very good at it, but if that is what my husband desires, then I will.”

“What your husband desires is to be greeted with a kiss each day.”

Will shifted closer and said, “If a kiss is your wish, then I shall gladly grant it.”  He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Nico’s forehead.

“I didn’t mean there,” Nico mumbled.

“Oh?” Will asked.  He brushed his lips against Nico’s cheek.  “Then you mean here?”

“No, not there, either,” Nico said, trying to keep a smile out of his voice.

“Then surely you mean here.”  Will pecked Nico’s nose.

“Will!” Nico laughed.

“Not there?” Will asked.  “Then I’m afraid I must continue kissing you until I guess correctly.”

And he did.  He kissed Nico’s chin, his jaw, his cheeks, and his temple, and all the while Nico laughed.  Eventually, Nico put his arms around Will’s neck and stopped him by planting a long kiss on his lips.

“Nico,” Will whispered, and the simple sound of his own name sent a shiver down Nico’s spine.  “I wanted to tell you that I...um...I enjoyed last night.”

Nico felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment.  Will continued speaking before Nico could compose himself enough to think of what to say.

“You...uh...you made me feel good,” Will said.  He took one of Nico’s arms from around his neck and laced their fingers together.  “Very good.”

“You made me feel good, too,” Nico said.  “And I liked talking to you and spending time with you.”

“I felt the same,” Will said.

“Perhaps, if you’d like, you could stay with me again tonight?”

“Yes,” Will answered.  “I would like that very much.”

They kissed again, and again, and just when Nico started to wonder if they had time to fall back in bed together and repeat the previous night’s activities, Will pulled away.  “Before I find myself more distracted, I must report that I came in here with the goal of informing you that your manservant brought our meal.  The tea is probably cold by now.”

Nico sighed, but got out of bed without feeling too regretful about it.  They only needed to suffer through one last day of the wedding, and then he could whisk Will away for a romantic week-long excursion at the Privilla.

*   *   *

The most stressful part of any wedding was gift-giving day.  Scattered through history were tales of bloody battles and political scandals that occurred as the result of a simple mishap during a gifting ceremony.  A present had to perfectly balance lavishness and modesty; simple and inexpensive gifts made their givers seem greedy, selfish, and uncaring, while the most extravagant ones threatened to outshine the receiver’s wealth.  Fortunately, barbaric wedding catastrophes were mostly a thing of the past, but lesser disasters were still known to occur.  Cecil must have been counting on his friendship with Will to prevent serious insult, because he and his husband gifted Will and Nico with a hog, saying that they hoped it would remind Nico of them.  Will had to bite his tongue to keep himself from laughing.  Nico pursed his lips and thanked them through gritted teeth, then said that he was sure it would provide him with a nice dinner.

The remaining presents were substantially less dangerous.  Precious stones from local mines were especially popular among Plutons.  One of Will’s favorite gifts was from Piper of Venus, who offered them fine Neptunian cocoa beans.  Another was part of the Royal family’s gift to Will and Nico; a week-long stay in the Privilla, which would begin at the end of the evening.  However, the most important part of the gifting ceremony was the conclusion of Will’s dowry payments, in which Apollo presented a specimen of the herd of black cattle he was giving the royal family.

Aside from Lee, Michael, and Lou Ellen teasing Will and subtly alluding to his recently lost virginity, the rest of the day passed in a blur for Will.  His body still felt light and airy after his night with Nico, and once the gifting ceremony and the dinner banquet finally ended, he spent the next several hours dancing with his new husband.  But in spite of the celebrations, a gnawing sense of sorrow hung over Will the whole day.  His family intended to leave Pluto the next morning, so when he and Nico left for their trip to the Privilla that evening, Will would have to say goodbye.

Will had been preparing for their separation since his family departed for the wedding, but nothing could have made him ready to see them go.  Having studied abroad every summer since he was seven, Will was accustomed to not seeing them for months at a time, but they always parted knowing exactly how long it would be before they’d meet again.  Even while in Venadica, Will had been around family; he’d been with his aunt and friends that he’d known since childhood.  Living with Pluto’s royal family promised none of that security.  Will loved Nico and he was optimistic about forming a good relationship with the royal family, but his future was still clouded by unknowns.  How long would it be until he saw his siblings again?  Would they be able to keep regular contact?  What about Will’s medical studies and his friends in Venadica?  Without the Duke of Diana’s patronage, how often would the royal family’s budget allow Will to return to the City of Enlightenment?  Whenever he wasn’t busy basking in the glow of his happy new marriage, Will felt afraid.

Late that evening, Lee found Will as he was making his way through the guests to personally thank them again for their gifts.

“Have you come to tease me more?” Will asked.

“Alas, not this time,” Lee answered.  “I wanted to tell you that Austin took Kayla to bed.  I thought you might like to go see her before you leave for the Privilla.  She’s probably not asleep yet.”

“Ah, thank you,” Will said.  “I’ll do that.”

“Also, I thought you should know that Michael and Austin are having a hard time today.  I’d like you to talk to them if you can.”

Will nodded.  “Where are they?”

“Austin never came back after taking Kayla to bed.  I left him alone because I didn’t want to crowd him, but...check on him for me?”

“I’ll see if I can get him to talk to me.  And Michael?”

“He’s around here somewhere.  I was trying to keep track of his wine, but I lost him at some point.  I’ll try to find him while you’re with Kayla and Austin.”

Will thanked Lee and left the Chamber of Ouranos for the suite where his family had been staying in the palace.  The door the room Will had shared with Austin was closed, but Will went to Kayla’s room first to see her before she fell asleep.  When he opened the door, Kayla sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes.  “Will?” she called sleepily.

“Did I wake you?” Will asked.

Kayla shook her head.  “I can’t sleep,” she said.  “Not if you’ll be gone when I wake up.”

“Oh, Kayla,” Will said.  He quietly closed the door behind him at set the candle on the table beside the bed.  When Kayla’s arms reached out for him, Will sat next to her and hugged her tightly.  “Kayla, I’m going to miss you so much.”

Kayla hid her face against Will’s shoulder and sniffled.  “I don’t like it when you go.”  Her voice cracked even before she finished her sentence, then she sobbed into Will’s jacket.  “You always go, every year.  I hate it so much.”

Will felt a painful throb in his chest.  Kayla had always been the hardest to leave behind summer after summer.  Every time he returned home in the fall, Kayla had grown so much during his absence that she seemed like an entirely different person.  He’d missed so much of her childhood already.

Will squeezed his burning eyes shut.  If he cried, too, it would only make it harder on Kayla.  “I know,” he whispered.  “I hate going, too.”

“And this time, you won’t come back.”

“Of course I’ll come back,” Will said.  “I’ll visit you and I’ll write to you every month.”

“It’s not the same!”

“No,” Will agreed.  “It’s not.”  He sighed and ran his fingers through her hair.  “Maybe you can come visit me.”

Kayla sniffed.  “I can’t do that by myself.”

“Why not?” Will asked.  “I was younger than you when I started going to Venadica.  If you want, you can bring a few brothers along with you.  How does that sound?”

Kayla wiped her nose on her sleeve.  “Good.”

“You’ll need to bring Mellie, too.  She’s quite taken with the Prince’s guard.”

“Really?” Kayla asked.

“They are completely smitten and they’ve been exchanging secret love letters for about a year,” Will said.  “It would be cruel for us to separate them, so I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.  Perhaps there will even be another wedding soon.  And after that, you and I will find plenty of new excuses to meet each other.  My getting married doesn’t mean that we won’t see each other anymore.”

“I’m still going to miss you,” she said.  Her voice cracked again and fresh tears stained her cheeks.

“I’m going to miss you, too,” Will said, squeezing her tightly.  “Do you promise to be good for Chiron while I’m gone?”

Kayla sniffed.  “No.”

Will sighed.  “It was silly of me to ask.”

“I’ll be terrible.”

“I know,” Will said as he coaxed her to lie back down.

“I won’t listen to him at all,” Kayla continued.  “I’ll break everything I can get my hands on.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said, then he tucked her into bed again.

“I’ll let the pigs inside again,” Kayla added.  “And I’ll burn those ugly orange draperies in the library.”

“Just be careful not to hurt the books.”  Will listened to Kayla until she couldn’t keep her eyes open, then he held her hand until her breathing became even and she fell asleep.  He kissed her forehead and wished her goodnight before leaving the room and quietly closing the door behind himself.

Will closed his eyes and leaned against the wood.  The door to Austin’s room was still shut, but Will knew he couldn’t face him until he composed himself.  Later, when he was on his own, Will could allow himself to mourn, but he wouldn’t make the separation harder on his family by crying in front of them.

After taking a deep breath, Will left the family’s suite to clear his head.  He took a tray of sesame cakes from a server to lure Austin out into talking and requested a jar of honey to sweeten them.  Once he’d calmed himself, Will went back and knocked on Austin’s door before letting himself in.  He found Austin lying in bed with his face mashed into the pillow.

“Austin?” he called.  “I came to check on you.”

Austin glanced up.  “I’m alright.”

He’d been crying.  Will could tell.

“I brought you sesame cakes,” said Will.

Austin pouted.  “I don’t like the way Plutons make them.  They taste like sawdust.”

“I know,” Will said.  “But they tastes much better if you add a bit of honey.”

Austin eyed the tray in Will’s hands for a moment, then he sat up, still clutching his pillow, and nodded.

Will smiled at sat down next to him.  “If we’re being honest, I’ve never liked Plutonian food much,” Will said as he lathered a few cakes in honey.  “I’ll have to go back home to get my fill of good southern Juvian cuisine every so often.”

Austin didn’t answer, but he did accept the sesame cake Will offered him.

“Do you want to talk?” Will asked.

Austin shook his head.  “That’ll only make me more upset.”

“Alright,” Will said.  He took a bite of his own cake and Austin followed suit.

After a moment, Austin said, “You’re right.  Honey does make it better.”

“Honey makes everything better,” Will answered.

“Not as much as butter.”

“Gods, yes,” Will agreed.  “Plutons just don’t understand how good butter is.”

“It’s a good thing that we’re giving you so many cattle.  Surely you’ll get _some_ butter from them.”

“I hope so.  Otherwise, I’m not certain this marriage will work.”

Austin didn’t laugh, but he did smile at Will appreciatively.  “I think I’ll be alright on my own now.  You can go back to your party.  Thank you for the cakes.”

“I’d rather stay and eat cakes with you for a while.  What about you?”

Austin nodded.  “That sounds good.”

Aside from the occasional jab at Pluto’s bland cuisine or Octavian’s existence, they mostly ate in silence.  When the fireworks started, they quietly watched them together through the window.  By the time they finished their cakes, Austin seemed to be feeling better.

“I have to talk to Michael before I leave,” Will said.  “Would you like to go with me now, or would you rather stay here for a while come later to see me off?”

“I’ll go with you now,” Austin said.  He got out of bed and Will helped him fix his hair and clothes.  Before they left, Will poked his head back into Kayla’s room to find her still fast asleep in bed.  He kissed her forehead and whispered that he loved her, then he led Austin back to the Chamber of Ouranos.

Lee caught them soon after they entered, looking delighted to see that Austin had emerged from his room.  He informed Will that he’d seen Michael walking to the gardens by himself, and then offered to help Austin find a few pretty dance partners.  Austin eagerly accepted.  He had quickly grown popular among the wedding guests his age, which was unsurprising; Austin was kind, charming, empathetic, and Will suspected that he’d soon challenge Lee’s claim to the title of best-looking brother.  Austin, like their father, had always been a romantic at heart and he’d enjoyed being wooed over the past few days.

Will left Austin in Lee’s care and went outside to search for Michael.  He spotted several guests that had broken off in pairs or small groups to tour the gardens together, but most were socializing in the courtyard.  The wedding hearth was still burning strongly into the evening sky, but once the wedding was over, it would be allowed to die out on its own.

After asking around and searching on his own, Will eventually located Michael in the Grove of Nyx.  He was alone with a glass of white wine, glaring over the gardens in annoyance.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Will asked.

If Will had surprised him, Michael didn’t show it.  He looked over his shoulder and scowled at Will.  “What are _you_ doing out here?  Go back to your party.”

Will sighed.  Michael’s mood always went sour when he drank, or perhaps it was that he drank when his mood was sour.  “How many glasses have you had tonight?”

“Not enough,” Michael muttered.

“You know that’s not good for you.”

“Really?  Because it feels good.”

“Michael.  Give me your glass.”

Michael glared at him, but relinquished the wine and didn’t bother to fight when Will poured it into the dirt.

“No more,” Will said.  “If you cause problems, I can and will have the servers cut you off.”

“Since when have you been so bossy?” Michael demanded.  He glowered, but the effect was lost on Will.  Beneath his rough exterior, Michael was harmless.

“Don’t take your frustration out on me,” Will answered calmly.

“I’m not—”  Michael stopped like he’d caught himself raising his voice, then he pursed his lips and averted his eyes.  “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“I know,” Will said.  “It’s alright.  The whole family is having a difficult time, especially with Octavian threatening to break loose.”

The scowl reappeared on Michael’s face.  “Gods, I hate that useless jackass.”

“It’s good to hear some healthy self-expression from you,” Will encouraged.  “Tell me how you feel about him.”

“He’s an absolute shithead.”

“Let it out, Michael.”

“A complete blunderfuck.”

“Oh, you’re getting creative now.”

Michael tilted his head back and laughed loudly.  Will considered it a success; Michael had barely even smiled over the past few days, much less laughed.

“Where did you learn to be so snarky?” Michael asked.

“My older brothers were good models.”

Michael snorted, but Will thought he saw him smile just a little bit.

“I’m going to miss you, Michael.”

“You should.  I’m a gift from the gods.”

Will laughed and bumped his shoulder good-naturedly.  “I’m serious.”

“I suppose I’ll miss you too,” Michael answered.  He bumped Will’s shoulder back, harder than Will had.  “I should take you back inside.  They’ll start looking for you soon.”

Will nodded and they got up to leave, but took their time walking through the gardens on the way back to the palace.  Will spotted a flower in the bushes and broke it off to give to Nico later on.  “For the Prince,” Will explained as he tucked it inside his coat.

Michael smiled ruefully.  “You’ve become a disgusting, love-struck fool, just like Lee,” he said.  “At least I know you’ll be happy here.”

“And what about you, Michael?” Will asked.  “Are you going to be happy?”

Michael sighed.  Will expected him to avoid answering and change the conversation, but then Michael said, “Listen, Will, I don’t want you to worry about me.”

“Can you promise me that you’ll take care of yourself back home?”

“I’m not going to suddenly destroy myself just because you left and got married, if that’s what you’re asking,” Michael said.  “I’ll still have Lee and Lou Ellen fussing over me and Chiron telling me what to do.  If I don’t take care of myself, you can trust them to take care of me.”  Michael paused, then aggressively added, “But at the same point, you’re still part of the family and I expect you to act like it.  Write to us every month.”

“I promise.”

“You’ll have to come back home to visit every now and then.  You’d better be there when I...if I ever get married.  For Kayla and Austin, too.”

Will tried not to show his surprise.  Michael hardly ever referred to the possibility of his own marriage.  “I will,” he said without pressing further.

“And when Lee and Lou Ellen start having children,” Michael added.  “I want you to see the baby.”

 _If_ they had children, Will almost corrected, but he didn’t want to express his doubts out loud.  He suspected that Michael also knew that there was a possibility they’d never conceive, but neither of them wanted to face that yet.  “Yes,” Will said instead.  “I’ll be there.”

“I’ll never forgive you if you break that promise,” Michael growled.

“I know,” Will said.

“Good,” Michael said.  “As long as we understand each other.”

If Michael seemed just a little bit brighter after that, Will didn’t comment.

When they reached the palace again and went back to the Chamber of Ouranos, they found that the whole family—minus Kayla, who was sleeping, and Octavian, who was conspicuously absent—had gathered to prepare for their goodbyes.

Will tried to have a normal conversation with them, but he didn’t succeed before Reyna and Nico arrived, signalling that it was time to leave.  Nico took Will’s arm as they walked out of the chamber.  When Will looked over his shoulder at his family following behind them, a sense of dread knotted in his stomach.  How could Will leave them behind?  How he leave Lee and Lou Ellen while they were struggling to start a family?  How could he leave Austin as he was just beginning his transition to adulthood, or little Kayla, who was still so young that Will worried she’d forget the memories they’d made together?  And most of all, how could he leave Michael as he was trying to drown himself in a bottle, struggling with emotions he wouldn’t share, and fighting a maybe-engagement in a battle that no one understood?

“I’m going to walk with my brother and sister-in-law,” Will whispered to Nico, and Nico nodded in understanding before releasing his arm.  Will motioned for his family to keep following Reyna outside as he approached Lee and Lou Ellen.  Although Apollo and Daphne were the Duke and Duchess of Diana by title, Lee and Lou Ellen had grown to be the unofficial heads of the family since they’d married. Aside from Lee’s occasional spats with Michael, he and Lou Ellen were the ones who held the family together.  When Will asked if he could speak to them privately, Lee and Lou Ellen slowed their pace to trail behind the others.  

“Where’s Octavian?” Will asked first.

Lou Ellen beamed.  “He may or may not have eaten something unpleasant while I was on duty and he may or may not be confined to the toilet for the rest of the evening,” she answered proudly.  “Why, did you want to say goodbye?”

Will sighed.  Lee and Lou Ellen may have been the ones holding the family together, but that didn’t mean they always behaved with decorum.

“I couldn’t care less about Octavian,” Will mumbled.  “I need you to promise to watch over Michael.”

Lee raised an eyebrow.  “Don’t we already?”

“I don’t think that you realize how dangerous his...pastimes can be,” Will whispered.  “His mood, too—something is wrong with him.  I’m scared for him.”

“Michael is upset about losing you right now,” Lee said.  

“It’s not just that,” Will insisted.

“And alcohol isn’t evil,” said Lou Ellen.  “I’ll admit that I think he drinks too much, but having a little bit is alright.”

“For us, maybe,” Will replied.  “But I’m afraid that it’s something else for Michael.  Please, believe me—I know what I’m talking about.  I’ve studied the way things like alcohol affect the body.  I want you to write to keep me updated on his progress.  Try to stop him from drinking.”

“Alright,” Lee relented.  “We’ll watch him and I promise we’ll keep you informed.  But what do you expect to do about it from all the way in Pluto?”

“You are mistaken if you think I wouldn’t run across the Romanus Terris on foot for my family,” Will said.  “Listen, before I go, I want you to promise to look after Austin and Kayla, too.  Lee, try not to antagonize Michael.  And Papa—he’s absolutely useless without Hyacinthus.  Mama gets lonely sometimes, so make sure to keep her company.  Pay attention to Chiron’s health.  And take care of each other.”

“We will,” Lee said.  “But don’t worry so much.  Losing you is going to be hard on us, but we have a strong family and we will recover from this.”

“I know that leaving home is scary,” said Lou Ellen.  “I’ve been through it, too.  For now, I want you to focus on settling in here.  Lee and I will watch over the family for you.”

Will sighed and nodded.  “Thank you,” he said.

By the time the three of them exited the Hall of Gold at the entrance to the palace, the rest of the family had already assembled to say goodbye.  Nico was waiting for him and Reyna stood nearby.  Mellie and Hedge were off to the side, holding hands as they bid each other a tearful, heartbroken farewell.  Hedge was going to to accompany Nico to the Privilla and Mellie would leave in the morning to return to Diana with Will’s family.

When Will joined him, Nico looked at Will’s family and said, “You’re always welcome in Divitia.  Until me again, may Aether light your way.”  To someone else, his voice might have sounded awkward and stiff, but Will knew his words were genuine.

Will’s family echoed the response to Nico’s farewell, then Nico turned to Will and said, “I’ll meet you in the carriage.”  With a squeeze to his hand and a smile, Nico left Will to say goodbye alone.

“We’re going to miss you, Will,” Apollo said.

“Be sure to write,” added Daphne.

Lee and Lou Ellen kissed Will’s cheeks.  Daphne embraced him and whispered a few kind words in farewell, along with a short prayer for his happiness.  Austin hugged Will so tightly that he couldn’t breathe, and then he started to cry and wouldn’t let go.  Eventually, Lee and Lou Ellen disentangled him and took him aside to comfort him.  Chiron wished Will good fortune, and gave a hug when Will insisted upon it.  Apollo recited a haiku:

 _I’m miserable._  
_Will’s exiled in tundra._  
 _I’m far too gorgeous._

And then he started to cry.  Even Michael, who typically avoided physical affection, hugged Will.  When everyone had said their goodbyes, Will stepped back and took a deep breath.  “When Kayla wakes up, tell her that I love her and I miss her already,” he said.  “I promise to visit Diana.  And the Prince meant it when he said that you’re welcome here.”

“Then until next time, Will,” Lee said.  “May Aether light your way.”

“And may Ouranos look on you kindly.”

*   *   *

Nico nearly jumped in surprise when the door to the carriage opened and Will climbed inside.  He smiled at Nico, but his eyes were red.  “Ready?” Will asked as he sat down next to him.

The carriage jerked and started to move.  “How do you feel?” Nico asked.  “I know saying goodbye was hard for you.”

Will hesitated and his smile faltered.  After a moment, he sighed.  “I may have lied last night when I said thing only thing that concerned me about marriage was Plutonian weather.”  He attempted to smile again, but it looked flat and lifeless.  He didn’t hold Nico’s gaze for long before he looked away.  “I’m going to miss them so much.”

Nico chewed his lip.  What could he say to comfort Will?  What did Will need from him?  Nico had never been good at figuring out that sort of thing on his own.  “I know it’ll be difficult for you,” he said slowly.  “But I...I don’t know what I can say or do to help you.  I’d like to help, though.”

Will looked up at Nico again.  That time, his smile was still small, but seemed a bit more genuine.  “Thank you—that’s all I need to hear.  For now, I don’t want think about it.  Anyway, I have a gift for you.”  He reached into his coat and pulled a flower from the inner pocket.

“A purple rose?” Nico asked.  The flower still had a few thorns on the stem and the petals were slightly bent.

“The flower of lovers in the color of royalty,” Will explained.  “Only the best for my beloved prince.”

Nico lightly poked one of the thorns with the top of his finger.  “Did you take this from my mother’s garden?”

Will smiled sheepishly.  “Yes, well, I was pressed for time.”

Nico laughed and threw his arms around Will’s neck to pull him in for a kiss.  “I love it,” he said.  “And I have a gift for you, too.”

“Oh?” Will asked.  “What is it?”

“Patience, Will.  You’ll have to wait until we get to the Privilla.”  Nico put a finger under Will’s chin and pulled him closer to kiss him a few times, then he pulled back and asked,  “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Will sighed.  “I don’t know,” he admitted.  “This is going to be hard for me, but right now, I’m on my way to spend a wonderful week alone with my new husband.  I don’t want to think about anything else.  I want you to distract me with reminders of why I’m so happy be married.”

“Such as?” Nico asked.

“Such as, we’re able to do things like this whenever we want.”  Will picked up Nico’s hand and kissed his knuckles.  “Or because I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.”

Nico smiled.  “How about, ‘because I want to spend the rest of my life with you’?”

“Yes,” Will said.  “Or because of the way I feel when you touch me, or because I want to wake up next to you every morning.”

“And what about things like this?” Nico asked, leaning forward to kiss Will’s lips.

“Just like that,” Will replied in a deep, pleased purr, then he kissed Nico back.

Nico swung his leg over Will’s lap and straddled his thighs, then put his hands on either side of Will’s head.  “And this?” he asked.

He felt Will’s hands on his hips with a barely-there touch, then his fingers slid up to Nico’s waist and helped him balance against the carriage’s jerky movements.  “Exactly this,” Will said.

Nico didn’t wait another moment.  He kissed Will until he couldn’t breathe and started to feel dizzy.  Will’s arms wrapped tightly around Nico’s waist, holding their bodies firmly together, and he gasped beautifully when Nico nipped at his lip.

“Nico,” Will mumbled in a soft, husky voice that sent a shiver of delight through Nico’s body.   _Nico._ Will had called him Nico.  Will said it with a tone that was so intimate, so _scandalous,_ and Nico wanted to swallow it and keep it all to himself.  Nico kissed him again, but then Will suddenly pushed Nico’s hips away, turned his head to the side, and said, “Actually, perhaps this is not the place—”

Nico pulled back and blinked at him.  “I don’t understand,” Nico said slowly.  “I thought you liked this.”

“I  _do_ like it,” Will assured.  “I like it too much.  If we keep doing this, it’ll only become more difficult to stop.  The ride won’t last much longer.”

Nico frowned.  He wanted to touch Will _immediately._ He wanted to touch him right there in the carriage, barely hidden from the outside, where they could be so easily discovered if they weren’t careful—

Nico stopped himself before his imagination ran even more wild.

“Yes, we will wait,” Nico agreed.  “But until we get there...perhaps we could kiss a little bit?”

Will laughed.  “Just keep your tongue to yourself for now,” he said, then he pecked Nico’s lips.  Nico was careful to be more gentle that time, grazing his teeth on Will’s lip instead of biting and twirling Will’s hair around his finger instead of clawing at his back.  

When they arrived at the Privilla, their rooms were already prepared and their belongings had been brought ahead of them.  Reyna escorted them to their apartment, and then Nico informed her that he didn’t expect to require any assistance that evening or the next morning, so he wanted to remain undisturbed unless he called for someone.  Reyna eyed their tousled hair and interlocked fingers.  She muttered a prayer of thanks that she no longer had to be a chaperone, then opened the door for them and left them alone.

Asterion was already resting on a couch in the apartment’s common room.  He quietly raised his head in greeting, but didn’t get up when they entered.  The puppy, however....

“Who is this?” Will asked as a white and brown spaniel bounded up to them.  She yipped loudly and excitedly until Will bent down to pick her up and pet her curly coat.

“Your wedding gift,” Nico answered.  “She’s a land-hunting spaniel, about six months old.  I have documentation of her lineage if you’d like to view it.  She comes from a strong line of dogs, and with your permission, she’ll start training with the rest of her litter.”

“Wait,” Will said, still holding the puppy and scratching behind her long ears.  “You are giving me a dog to celebrate our wedding?”

“I know it’s frightening for you to come to Divitia without your friends and family,” Nico explained.  “You have me, of course, and you know Reyna and Hedge, and I think you’ll get along well with Hazel, but I thought it might be good for you to have a companion.  Several of our dogs had puppies recently and I observed them for months to find the one that suited you best.  I chose her.”

Will frowned.  “I gave you a flower that I stole from your mother’s garden.  You gave me a dog.”

“Well, you did also bring my family several hundred heads of cattle,” Nico pointed out.  “And I like the flower.  Do you like her?”

“I love her,” Will said as the puppy nibbled on his fingers.  “She’s so...gods, she’s so _soft._ Look at her face!  She has the sweetest face I’ve ever seen.”  Nico’s heart swelled with affection as he watched Will pepper kisses on the puppy’s head.  “What’s her name?” Will asked.

“I was going to let you choose.”

Will looked back down at the puppy’s face.  “I’ll have to think about it,” he said.  “I wasn’t expecting to need to pick a name.  Did you really mean what you said about wanting me to have a companion?  You thought that through?”

“Of course I did,” Nico answered.  “I want you to be happy here.”

“I love her so much,” Will said.  “I love _you_ so much.  I can’t believe you did this because...gods, Nico, I really do feel much less afraid now.”

Nico smiled proudly.  He’d worried that he should have asked Will before making the decision on his own, but it seemed that he’d made a good choice after all.

“But,” Will continued, and for a moment Nico was afraid that he’d done something wrong.  Then Will set the puppy back down on the ground and said, “It still doesn’t feel right that I only gave you a flower.”

“Oh, I don’t care about that,” Nico said.  “I’m just happy you like her.”

“Even so, I feel like I’m indebted to you,” Will said, reaching out to touch Nico’s waist.  “I should thank you.”

Nico’s face burned when he realized what Will was saying.  “Oh.  Right.  I see.”  He cleared his throat.  “You know, that rose you gave me still has thorns, if you want to factor that detail in while you’re calculating your, um, debt.”

“How careless of me,” Will agreed.  His hands slid to Nico’s hips, then he pulled Nico closer and kissed him.

When their lips separated, Nico whispered, “You know you don’t actually owe me anything, don’t you?”

“I know,” Will said.  “But I would like a continuation of what we started in the carriage, if you’re interested.”

“I’m interested,” Nico said.  “Very interested.”

They kissed again and Nico pulled Will into his bedroom, leaving the dogs locked outside.  Will helped Nico disrobe—Nico had always struggled with buttons, as he had very little practice dressing himself—and once they had gotten rid of their clothing, they stumbled their way towards the bed.  Nico thought about bringing up the topic of consummation again, but abandoned the idea in favor of surrendering to the way their touches naturally progressed.

They spent their second night together exploring and learning each other’s bodies.  Nico asked Will to show him how he pleased himself, then Nico showed Will how he did it.  They taught each other what felt good and started to discover how their bodies worked when they brought them together.

Afterwards, they stayed in each other’s arms, bare under the blankets and whispering nonsense in the afterglow.  Will’s skin felt soft and warm against Nico’s and the press of their bodies against each other seemed intimate in a way that wasn’t merely physical.  Nico felt like he was touching more than naked skin—he was touching Will’s mind, his heart, and his soul.

The puppy eventually started to cry outside the door, so Will borrowed Nico’s dressing gown and let the dogs in the room.  At Nico’s request, Will undressed again before he slipped back into bed with him.  Like the night before, they fell asleep wrapped tightly in each other’s arms, but that time they had an additional companion snuggled next to them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for adult-y content in this chapter!

Nico was not alone when he woke up the next morning.  Sandwiched between Will and Asterion and lying sweaty and naked under the blankets, Nico felt almost unbearably cramped.  His sleep been rudely disturbed by the puppy crying at the closed door, desperate to leave the room.

Will saved Nico the trouble of getting up.  He rolled out of bed and pulled on his discarded shirt, then yawned as he opened the door to let the puppy and Asterion out.  Will smiled sleepily when he looked up and met Nico’s eyes.  “Good morning, my dear husband,” he said.  He walked back to the bed and leaned down to kiss Nico’s lips.

“Good morning, my dear lark,” Nico answered.

Will chuckled and nuzzled Nico’s neck.  “Is that what you’re going to call me from now on?”

“If you like it,” Nico said.

“I told you yesterday—I can be your lark,” Will said.  “I just thought you’d outgrown comparing your suitors to animals.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re not my suitor anymore.”  Nico tried to wrap his arms around Will and tug him back into bed, but Will laughed and pulled back.  Nico was disappointed, but he felt better when Will stretched as walked away, his shirt riding up his thighs and offering Nico a pleasant view of Will’s legs.

Will didn’t notice Nico staring.  He yawned again and opened the window curtains to look outside and let in the morning light.  “It’s beautiful today,” he said.

 _You’re beautiful today,_ Nico wanted to answer.  The sun made Will look like he was made of gold.  Nico would have enjoyed the sight even more if Will hadn’t bothered to put on a shirt.

“We should go for a walk before it gets too hot outside,” Will said.  “We’ll bring Asterion and the puppy with us and ask for our breakfast to be brought to the poplar grove, like the last time we were here.  The gardens must look amazing this time of year.  What do you say?”

Nico didn’t realize that Will had asked a question until he turned to face Nico with a smile that put the sun to shame.

“That sounds nice, but I like the view from my bed,” Nico said, grinning as he roamed his eyes over Will’s bare legs again.

Will looked at Nico for a few beats of silence.  Then he asked, “Are you trying to seduce me?”

The question sounded genuine, like Will was legitimately trying to work out Nico’s intentions.  Nico could only laugh.  “Yes, Will,” he said.  “As lovely as a walk sounds, I’d rather stay in bed with you all day.”

Will was quiet for a second, like he was weighing the outcomes.  “You make a good point,” he said.

“Take off that awful shirt before you join me,” Nico scowled.  Will laughed at him, but rewarded Nico as he stripped off his clothes in the morning sunlight, letting Nico revel in every inch of exposed skin.  He climbed on the bed with Nico and kissed him, and then they lost themselves in the pleasure of each other’s touch again.

*   *   *

“Don’t you think we ought to go outside?” Will asked after they’d worn themselves out with a few morning rounds.

Nico grunted into his pillow.  “No.”

“The fresh air and sunlight will do us some good,” Will went on.  “And perhaps we ought to get something to eat.  Aren’t you hungry?”

“I quite like being in bed.”

“I’m no longer certain whether you are still trying to seduce me or you just want to sleep all day.”

Nico considered.  “Both.”

Will sighed.  “Do you give Reyna this much trouble every morning?”

“Yes,” Nico scowled.  “And if you side with her, I want an annulment.”

“It’s too late for an annulment,” Will said.  “We’ve already consummated the marriage.”

Nico frowned.  So Will _did_ think the marriage had been consummated.  Was he unaware that penetration was a requirement?  Had he not received an adequate education, or was it an odd Juvian practice?

Not that it mattered.  Nico did not actually intend to annul his marriage.

“I suppose we’re stuck with each other, then,” Nico sighed.

“Surely you haven’t already tired of me?”

“And if I have?  Perhaps you ought to remind me why I was so desperate to be married.”

Will laughed and kissed Nico, but disentangled himself from Nico’s arms when Nico tried to pull him into bed again.  “I have given enough reminders to satisfy you for one morning,” he said.  “You’ll have to wait until tonight.”

Nico flopped back down in disappointment.  “I will get out of bed for a bath,” he announced.

“Then you’ll need to get up and call the servants,” Will said.  “You told Lady Reyna that you didn’t want to be disturbed unless you asked for assistance, remember?”

“Nonsense.  You’ll bathe me.”

Will raised an eyebrow.  “Oh, will I?”

“You bathed yourself in Venadica, did you not?  You are perfectly qualified to bathe me.  And afterward, I’ll bathe you.”

“That’s a wonderful plan, but we’d still need to summon servants to bring hot water,” Will said.  “And while I have no problem asking for their help, I would need to put clothes on to do so.  I suspect that this is all a ploy to keep me naked, so that would defeat the purpose of taking a bath.”

“Oh,” Nico mumbled.  “Right.”

“So how about we get up, I’ll help you dress, and then we have a meal outside?” Will suggested.  “Later tonight, we can ask for hot water and then we’ll stay in the bathing chamber as long as you like.  How does that sound?”

Nico hummed.  “Tempting, but I’d still rather stay in bed.”

“Then how about this,” Will said, leaning close enough for his breath to tickle Nico’s lips.  Nico waited expectantly, but then Will said, “You’ll get up now, or else I won’t kiss you again until tomorrow.”

Nico frowned.  “And do you really think you’d be able to do that?”

“Do you really want to find out?”

As badly as he wanted to stay in bed and as difficult as it was to not take up the challenge, Nico wasn’t willing to risk losing kissing privileges for a full day.  “Fine,” he sighed.

“Good choice,” Will said, and before Nico could feel irritated by his teasing tone, Will kissed Nico’s lips to reward him.

Once Will finally got them into their clothes—Nico may have intentionally slowed down the process—they called for a meal to be brought to the poplar grove.  It was already midday and the grounds were warm, but they took their time eating together in the shade of the poplar trees.

“The last time we ate here together, you wouldn’t speak to me,” Will commented.

Nico frowned.  “I don’t remember that.”

“You were upset with me because I’d asked you to call me ‘Will’ instead of ‘Lord William,’ I think,” Will said.  “You refused.”

“That is absolutely _not_ what happened,” Nico said.  “I didn’t _refuse;_ I told you that I’d prefer to call you ‘Lord William’ for the time being.”

“Yes.  So you refused.”

Nico shook his head.  “You misunderstood.  That wasn’t what I meant.”

“Then exactly what did you mean?”

“That I would consider it,” Nico said.  “You may have remembered meeting in Venadica as children, but to me, we hadn’t even known each other for a full day yet.  I wasn’t prepared to use a nickname so early.  I just meant to say, ‘give me a few days.’”

“Oh,” Will said.  “I see.  Then why wouldn’t you speak to me after that?”

“I thought _you_ were the one not speaking to _me,”_ Nico said.  “I thought I’d upset you by not accepting immediately.  I was afraid of saying something else rude, so I decided to wait for you to speak first.”

“Oh,” Will said again.  He paused thoughtfully.  “We really didn’t understand each other at all.  How did we ever end up engaged?”

“Because something about you seemed special,” Nico answered.  “I thought, ‘maybe someday, if we work hard enough, we’ll be able to make each other happy.’”

“And we do,” Will said.

“And we do,” Nico agreed.

After they’d finished eating, Nico took Will for a walk in the gardens.  They started out side by side, but that didn’t last long before Nico slipped his arm around Will’s waist and leaned on Will’s shoulder instead.  They talked and laughed and kissed, and once or twice, they may have pulled each other into a secluded area between the bushes to embrace each other more passionately.

They spent the better part of the day chasing each other through the estate, avoiding the staff, and escaping to hold each other discreet hiding spots only to narrowly avoid getting caught.  Later in the evening, Will made good on his promise and brought Nico to the bathing chamber.  They touched and kissed in the bath until the water went too cold for them to enjoy.  Will dressed them in their nightshirts and dressing gowns before they returned to their apartment to eat dinner.  Nico requested a simple platter, and then they curled up together in front of the fireplace to feed each other pieces of fruit and cheese.  Asterion lazed nearby, while the puppy, who had just woken up from a nap, happily raced after bits of meat that Nico and Will tossed across the room for her to chase.

“Have you decided on a name?” Nico asked.

“I was thinking ‘Bonnie,’” Will answered.  “It was the name of a pet rabbit I used to have.”

“You mean the ugly one that terrorized your family?”

Will sighed.  “She didn’t _mean_ to terrorize anyone.”

“That’s not what your brothers said.  They seem to believe that she was a demon.”

“She was misunderstood,” Will insisted.  When Nico laughed, Will shoved a grape in his mouth to silence him.  “Don’t tease her.”

“Alright, I’m sorry,” Nico said.  He pecked Will’s lips in apology.  “So, Bonnie, then?  It’s a good name for a dog.”

“I think so, too,” Will said.  He picked up a short spear of asparagus and held it to Nico’s mouth.

Nico pushed Will’s hand away.  “I am not eating that,” he scowled.

“You will if you want a kiss,” Will said.  He pinched half of it between his teeth and leaned forward, grinning expectantly.

Nico sighed, but bit off the end to kiss Will’s lips anyway.  Will patted Nico’s back as he coughed and choked it down.  “Disgusting,” Nico said.  “I don’t understand how you can eat this sort of thing.”

Will had the audacity to laugh at him.  Nico stifled Will’s voice with a kiss.  Will kissed back and wove his fingers into Nico’s hair, and then—

They were interrupted by a knock on the door and someone clearing their throat.

Nico quickly pulled away to find his adviser standing in the doorway.  “Reyna?  What are you...?”

“My apologies for interrupting,” Reyna said.  “I know you did not want to be disturbed, and believe me, Your Highness, I would have preferred to remain as far away from the two of you as possible.  Unfortunately, there is an emergency at the palace that required me to disobey your orders.  It’s too much for me to take care of on my own.”

Nico groaned.  If it was so bad that it was too much for Reyna, then Nico wanted nothing to do with it.  “What do you need from me?”

“Actually, I’m here to ask for Lord William’s help.”  Reyna shifted her weight and cleared her throat.  “You see, Lord William, when your family left this morning, they failed to ensure that they took everything with them.  Or rather...every _one.”_

Will’s face went pale.  “You don’t mean....”

“Unfortunately, I do,” Reyna said.  “It appears that they forgot your cousin.”

*   *   *

Will tried to convince Nico to wait for him at the Privilla, but Nico adamantly refused to separate, so they dressed themselves again and left the estate together with Reyna.  Fortunately, Will got Nico to at least agree to stay in their chambers while he attended to Octavian.  He didn’t want Nico to have to deal with Octavian under even the best circumstances, and if Reyna’s report was to be believed, Octavian was worse than usual without Will’s family there to rein him in.

“He has been ungrateful, critical, and demanding,” Reyna told them in the carriage ride back to the palace.  “He makes male members of the staff uncomfortable with unwanted advances, he orders to be brought to the Prince, and he has behaved quite rudely towards the King.”

Will cursed under his breath.  His family had done well controlling Octavian.  They had been so close to avoiding disaster.  How had they managed to _forget_ him in Divitia?  As much as Will wished he could avoid thinking about his cousin for the rest of his life, Octavian was hard to forget.

Will was almost too afraid to ask, but he said, “What has he done?”

“He has criticized the palace and its amenities, particularly the lack of indoor plumbing, as well as the meals we have attempted to feed him,” Reyna answered.  “He has also insulted the staff and royal family’s hospitality.  He feels that he has been mistreated.  I have been doing my best to handle the situation, but he’s gotten out of hand.”

“You’re serious?” Nico said disbelievingly.  “I didn’t think he was _actually_ that terrible.”

Will sighed.  “I’d hoped that you and your family would never have to deal with this.”

“Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was?” Nico asked.

“I _did,”_ Will answered.  “I told you that my family has been keeping watch over him since we arrived and that I asked Lady Reyna to consider him a threat to your security.”

Nico opened and closed his mouth speechlessly.  “But I thought that was a joke!”

“If only it were,” Will mumbled.

“I can confirm that he and his family have been doing everything they can to restrain Octavian,” Reyna said.  “We even arranged your schedule in such a way to ensure that you would never run into each other.”

“Wait,” Nico said.  “If he’s been asking to see me and you think he’s a threat to my security...don’t tell me that he...?”

Will cleared his throat.  “He’s...interested in you,” he said.  “And he has deluded himself into thinking you’re interested in him and you are star-crossed lovers that my family has been keeping apart.”

Nico’s lip curled.  “Disgusting.”

“I doubt he would actually attack you, if only because he’s too lazy to do so,” Will said.  “He’s a nuisance more than anything else, but his persistence can easily become harassment.  This is why I think it would have been better for you to remain at the Privilla.”

“Nonsense,” Nico growled.  “I would very much like to have a word with this ‘Octavian.’”

“While I would love to see that, I must agree with Lord William,” Reyna said.  “It’s for the best that you remain in your quarters while Octavian is dealt with.”

Nico grunted and crossed his arms.  “If you insist.  But Will, do tell him that I’m not interested.”

“I’ll do my best, but somehow I don’t think he’ll be easily convinced,” Will said.

When they arrived at the palace, Reyna escorted Nico straight to his chambers to avoid unwanted contact with Octavian, but Will was not so lucky.  He steeled himself before going to the apartment where his family had stayed, afraid of what state Octavian might be in when he arrived.

When Will knocked on the door, he could hear Octavian’s self-pitying sigh before he called, “Enter, if you must.”

Will tried to smile as he opened the door, but it felt more like a grimace.  “Hello, Octavian,” he said, closing the door behind him.  “I heard about the...uh... _issue_ and came as soon as I was able to see how I could help.”

“Well, it’s about time you attended to me!” Octavian snapped.  He didn’t bother to get out of his chair to greet Will, nor did he offer Will a seat.  “Quite frankly, I am insulted that you didn’t come straight away!”

“I apologize for the inconvenience.  Fortunately, the problem had been resolved.  A message was sent with a man on horseback earlier today.  Thankfully, our family hadn’t traveled very far.  The rider managed to catch up to them and they’re already on their way back.  They should arrive tomorrow.  Until then, is there anything I can do to assist you?”

Octavian sighed and rested his chin on his hand forlornly.  “Oh, Will, I don’t think you have the capacity to help me.  Have you any idea what I have been through?”

Will winced and prepared himself for Octavian’s usual soliloquy.  “Uh...no, I’m afraid not,” he answered.

“To begin, I was ill all night with an affliction of the bowels caused by this unpalatable Plutonian food.  I slept _awfully._ When I woke up this afternoon, my buttocks felt better and my rear was no longer dripping with vile liquid excrement, but I was horrified to discover that our family had left without me.  Naturally, since I am so even-tempered and resourceful, I did not panic.  On the contrary, I was overjoyed by the prospect of regaining my freedom.  For reasons that I cannot understand, our family has done everything in their power to ensure that I remain as miserable as possible in Divitia.  They never give me _anything_ I want!  They haven’t allowed anyone to entertain me in my bedchamber, nor have I had a single conversation with the Prince.  Bearing that cruel abuse in mind, you can imagine my excitement to discover that I had been released from their overbearing custody.  I thought, ‘at last the Prince and I finally can lose ourselves in our mutual passion!’  After all, our family could only thwart destiny for so long.  But to my sorrow, you had already stolen my poor lover away.”

“Octavian—”

“I assumed that you, the most noble of my uncivilized cousins, would surely understand my plight and rush back to the palace with the Prince.  But of course not!  The wretched staff refused to even contact you!  I will have you know that I felt extremely unwelcomed.  You really must have a word with the royal family about the palace’s hospitality.  I expected to be greeted with grateful cheers when everyone realized I was still in Divitia, but not one face even had a smile!  Not a single man bothered to entertain me, which I cannot understand—they ought to be lining up outside my door to please me!  At first, I assumed that it was typical Plutonian modesty preventing them from being bold enough to approach me first, but they acted _ungrateful_ when I implied my interest in having them in my bedchamber!  Can you imagine such a thing?”

“Well, you see—”

“And that awful woman—Reyna, or whatever her name was—had the audacity to _scold_ me!  As if _I_ have done anything wrong.  I was sure to have a word with the King after that, but I barely managed to say anything before he brushed me aside.  When I insisted, he had his guards escort me away!  Can you believe his arrogance?”

“I think—”

“Be quiet!  I haven’t finished my story yet.  Really Will, don’t you realize how rude it is to interrupt?  Now, what was I saying?  Ah, yes.  By this point in the day, I had been ignored, dismissed, and even brazenly insulted by everyone I had come into contact with.  The staff adamantly refused to bring the Prince to me.  That horrible woman—Reyna—insisted that he had asked not to be disturbed.”

“Actually, he did say—”

“But of course he did!  He must have thought that I’d left with my family and was mourning my departure.  I tried to explain that, but no one would listen.  They must all realize that separating us only prolongs the inevitable, but alas—everyone seems to be against me!  You, Will, were my last hope.  I once again demanded to speak to you, and finally, after asking at least a _hundred_ people, you were brought back to the palace.  Surely _you_ will not turn a deaf ear to my troubles.”

“Right,” Will said.  “Of course.  What can I do to help you?”

“Haven’t I said it enough already?  Honestly, I’m beginning to lose patience.  Bring me to the Prince, of course!”

“Ah, well, that’s...uh...I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Will said.  “He has said that he is not interested.”

“Ridiculous!  What is the real reason?” Octavian demanded.

Will shifted his weight awkwardly.  Octavian was impossible to reason with, so Will didn’t even bother to try again.  “The Prince has already gone to bed,” Will lied.

“Can’t you wake him?”

“Unfortunately not,” Will answered.  “I don’t have the...uh...security clearance.”

“Security clearance?  But you’re his husband!”

“Plutons take security very seriously,” Will said gravely.  “You can discuss it with His Highness tomorrow.”

“I am _leaving_ tomorrow!” Octavian said.  “What if the family arrives in Divitia before I’m able to meet him?”

Will was counting on it.  “That would indeed be unfortunate,” he said.  “You have my sincerest apologies, but this is the best I can do for now.  I’m sure that you understand—after all, you really are so even-tempered and resourceful.  Considering how clever you are, I trust that you’ll find an opportunity to meet him tomorrow.”

Octavian sighed.  “I’m disappointed that you can’t do more, but I suppose it can’t be helped.  You simply aren’t important enough to do anything useful.”

“I really am so unimportant,” Will agreed sadly.

“Well, I suppose that I no longer have any need for you,” Octavian said.  “You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, Octavian,” Will said.  “I hope you sleep well.”  And then he left before Octavian could call him back to listen as he wallowed in self-pity even more.

When Will arrived in their rooms, tired but grateful it was over, Nico was sitting in front of the fire and sipping a glass of wine.  Hedge was on duty as Nico’s guard nearby and Asterion was dozing on the couch while Bonnie napped beside him.

“How was it?” Nico asked.

Will flopped into an overstuffed armchair and loosened the cravat around his neck.  “I’d rather not think about it,” he said.

“That bad?” Nico asked.  He gestured for Jules-Albert to pour Will a glass of wine.

Will rubbed his brow to soothe his already-forming headache.  “I’m just glad you weren’t there,” he said.  He thanked Jules-Albert for his wine, then continued, “He wanted to see you.  I had to tell him you were already asleep.”

Nico hummed in amusement as he finished off his glass.  “To tell you the truth, I was thinking of heading to bed anyway,” he said, getting up from his chair.  He leaned down to peck Will’s lips and whispered, “Come join me when you’re finished.”  Then he kissed Will again and left with Jules-Albert and Hedge to ready himself for bed.

Will sighed and slouched further in the chair.  He noted that the wine Jules-Albert had poured for him was the same wine that he’d shared with Nico on their wedding night.  It offered a pleasant reprieve after the Octavian shock, and Nico’s subtle promise of what was to come in the bedroom that night certainly helped to alleviate some stress.  Still, Will was not looking forward to having to deal with the trouble Octavian had caused by insulting the royal family and propositioning nearly everyone in the male half of the palace staff.

At the very least, Will could relax for the moment.  He took another sip of wine and watched Asterion’s paws twitch in his sleep.  Bonnie woke up with a start when Asterion accidentally smacked her, then she groggily nestled closer and curled back up to sleep.

Will laughed softly to himself, then he yawned and got up, deciding that he may as well change back into his nightclothes.  He took a last sip from his glass before he set it aside and stretched as he walked toward his chambers.

Then Will heard the door behind him creak open.

“There you are!” said a voice.  “I was worried that I’d lost you.”

Will felt the blood drain from his face and he whirled around to find Octavian beaming in the entryway.  “Octavian!  How did you get here?”

“I followed you, of course!” Octavian answered proudly.  “You walked so quickly that I lost sight of you, but I checked every room until I found you again!”

“You really shouldn’t be here.”

“Nonsense,” said Octavian.  “I thought about what you said about your security clearance and I have come up with a solution.  Obviously the Prince wouldn’t allow _you_ to enter his room while he’s sleeping, but if _I_ were to visit him in person, he would be delighted that I came to wake him!”

“Octavian,” Will said slowly.  “You need to go back to your room.   _Now.”_

“Oh, but I thought I might sleep in your husband’s room tonight?”

“No,” Will said.   _“I_ will be sleeping in my husband’s room tonight.   _You_ will stay in your guest chambers.”

“Well, that’s just selfish, Will.  Honestly, you think you can keep him all to yourself, but that’s not fair at all.  For the love of Rhea, look at me!  Would you really deny your husband the opportunity to sleep with someone so breathtakingly gorgeous?”

Will took a deep breath to calm his frustration and keep himself from getting angry.  “He is _my_ husband, not yours.  We are currently celebrating our marriage.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Octavian said dejectedly.  “Well then, we can share him tonight!”

Will’s stomach churned.  “Just...please just go to your room.”

“Oh, alright,” Octavian said with a sigh.  “I was hoping to stay in the Prince’s chambers, but I suppose you can send him along to me when you’re done with him.”

“Octavian!”

“Honestly, Will, I think I’m being very generous.  I’ll even let you borrow one of my concubines the next time you visit me.”

Will pursed his lips.  “Please go to your room and stay there for the rest of the night.  Papa will be here tomorrow to pick you up.”

“Exactly!  That is why I must sleep with the Prince _tonight!”_

Octavian’s shrieking startled Asterion awake and he growled resentfully at Will’s cousin for his disrupted sleep.  Will was grateful for Asterion’s support.

“My husband will _not_ be joining you,” Will said.

“Fine!  If you’re going to be so ridiculously inconsiderate, then I’ll talk to him myself!”

“Octavian, _don’t—”_

“You must at _least_ let me see his cock—”

“No!  My gods, Octavian, _no!_ Leave!  Go to your room!  Stay there!”

“Then fine!  I’ll go find some manservant to satisfy me for the night!”

“You will do nothing of the sort.”

“Well then how do you expect me to get off, _William?”_

“For the love of Rhea, do it yourself!”

“Are you suggesting I sully my own hands?  How crude!  Honestly, Will, what a disgusting suggestion.  I’m surprised at you!”

“Fine, then, don’t get off at all!  But my husband is _not_ available and you will _not_ lure anyone else into bed with you.”

“Oh and I suppose you want me to _starve_ myself, too?”

 _“What?_ How does that....”  Will stopped and took another deep breath to quell his anger.  “Listen, Octavian, you made several members of the staff extremely uncomfortable today.  Please don’t bother anyone else.”

Octavian crossed his arms.  “Why should they be uncomfortable?  It’s no one’s fault but their own that they’re blind to my irresistible charms.”

Will clenched his jaw and counted to ten.  “I agree that it’s unfortunate, but you must understand that what you did today was inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate?   _Me?_  I am the epitome of elegance and grace!”

Will sighed.  As usual, Octavian was incapable of comprehending insinuations that he was not flawless or arguments from which he did not emerge the victor.  “Like you said, there are individuals who are tragically blind to your irresistible charms,” Will tried to explain.  “It’s an unfortunate, incurable ailment.  Chasing after such individuals is only a waste of your time, don’t you think?”

“We’re talking about the Prince!” Octavian said.  “He’s not some unenlightened plebeian.  He will be properly honored by my attentions!”

“Wait, stop!” Will said as Octavian tried to storm his way into the room.  He was fast enough to grab Octavian and stop him, but Octavian pushed at him and Will had to try to wrestle him out the door.

“William!” Octavian snapped.  “Unhand me at once!  This is atrociously undignified of you!”

“You need to leave!”

“I most certainly do not—”

“You were not invited—”

“I do not require an invitation to—”

“My husband isn’t—”

Then a door behind Will opened and Nico’s displeased voice said, “Exactly _what_ is the problem?”

In his shock, Will almost let Octavian go.  He looked over his shoulder to see Nico come out of his room, clad in his dressing gown and flanked by Hedge and Jules-Albert.  Will only just managed to keep Octavian from bolting towards Nico.  “This is...” he started.  “I....”

Octavian leaned over Will’s shoulder to speak.  “Good evening, Prince Nico,” he purred.  “I’m sure my cousin is ashamed to have disturbed your sleep.  Unfortunately, he’s trying to keep us apart—”

“Octavian!  Leave!” Will said, trying to push Octavian out before he could make things worse.

Octavian struggled against him.  “Never fear, my gorgeous prince!  I shan’t allow my cousin’s selfish possessiveness sway my desire for you.”

Will clamped his hand over Octavian’s mouth.  Octavian bit him.

“Let him go, Will,” Nico said calmly.

Will looked at him in shock.  “But—”

“Let him go,” Nico repeated.

Will slowly let go of Octavian, who took the opportunity to dart out of Will’s hold and launch across the room towards Nico.

“Stop,” Nico said in a soft but commanding voice, and Octavian, to Will’s surprise, obeyed.  “Sit down,” he went on, pointing to the seat farthest away from him.  When Octavian made to sit closer to Nico, Nico cleared his throat and jabbed his finger towards the farther chair again.  That time, Octavian did as he was told.

Nico crossed his arms and glanced from Will to Octavian.  Will couldn’t read his expression.  Nico looked completely calm when he said, “Now, if you would please explain the situation to me?”

Octavian leaned forward and smiled at Nico in a way that he probably thought was amorous.  Will thought he looked like an inebriated duck.  “You see, my beautiful prince—”

“You will address me as ‘Your Highness,’” Nico interrupted.

Octavian only looked encouraged.  “Your Highness,” Octavian corrected in a dreamy voice.  “My cousin stands in the way of our inevitable passionate love making—”

“Octavian....” Will groaned miserably.

Nico held up a finger to silence Will.  “I see,” he said to Octavian instead.  “And are you aware of the fact that your cousin is my husband?”

“Well, certainly—”

“And that our wedding ended only yesterday?”

“Of course—”

“Then you must know that your cousin and I are, as we speak, _supposed_ to be enjoying a private trip to the Privilla in celebration our marriage.”

“Yes, but—”

“And, of course, you also know that as my husband, your cousin is an official resident of the Palatium de Divitae and member of the Pluton Royal Family?”

“I suppose—”

“And did it occur to you that because my husband is an official resident of the Palatium de Divitae and member of the Royal Family, you are his _guest?”_

“Well, I wouldn’t say—”

“And as his guest, you ought to be polite and courteous and respectful, and wouldn’t you agree that it would be a breach of hospitality to seduce your host’s husband—with whom, I might remind you, he is currently supposed to be on a private trip in celebration of his marriage?”

“Well, I suppose I could be generous this time—”

“Furthermore, I would like to remind you that you and I have exchanged no more than a dozen words prior to this evening.”

“I agree that it is unfortunate—”

“And not once, in any of our brief encounters, have I ever solicited your attention, nor have I said anything to suggest that I would welcome your advances.”

“It’s a pity that we haven’t had the opportunity to discuss—”

“Then allow me to clarify: your advances are neither required nor appreciated.  You interrupted a private trip with my husband and now you have entered the apartment that I share with my husband without invitation—disrupting the same perfectly peaceful evening _twice_.  Beyond disturbing me personally, you have embarrassed your family, insulted my home, and seriously violated the rules of hospitality through your rudeness towards my husband, my family, my staff, and myself.  From now until you depart, I am confining you to your quarters to keep you from causing any further problems.  Once you leave, you will no longer be welcome in this palace—or this country.”

“I’m not sure I understand—”

“Hedge!” Nico called without letting Octavian finish.

“Your Highness?” Hedge answered.

“Please escort this man to his chambers and have a guard positioned outside his room to ensure he stays there.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Hedge said.

Will cleared his throat.  “A female guard, preferably,” he added, as Octavian was likely to pounce on any male.

“Understood.”  Hedge stepped forward and grabbed Octavian’s arm, tugged him to his feet, and dragged him out of the room.

“I suppose there’s always next time, Your Highness!” Octavian called as he was lugged away.  “Don’t worry, I won’t be dissuaded—”

His voice was cut off when Hedge slammed the door shut.

Nico turned to his manservant next.  “Jules-Albert, please alert Lady Reyna to the situation if she is still awake.  After that, you are dismissed for the night.”

Jules-Albert bowed and left the room without a word.

Will was speechless.  To his surprise, Nico grinned at him proudly.  “I took care of the problem for you, I think,” he said.  “He can’t possibly cause much damage anymore.”

Will didn’t want to challenge Octavian’s ability to wreak havoc, but he did cross the room in a few strides to wrap Nico in his arms and kiss him.  “My gods, I love you,” he said, squeezing Nico tightly.  “I’m so sorry you had to deal with him.  He followed me here.”

“Well, he won’t do it again,” said Nico.  “Hedge isn’t going to let him anywhere near me.  And if there was any question about it, I will not be sleeping with him.”

“I wasn’t worried that you would,” Will said, because he didn’t see how _anyone_ could want to be around his cousin more than strictly necessary.

“Good,” Nico said, stepping forward.  “Because I would much rather share my bed with you, if you’d care to join me?”

Will flushed as Nico placed his palm flat over Will’s waistcoat.  “I...um...uh...right, yes...if you’ll allow me to change into my night clothes—”

“I don’t see a reason for that,” Nico said.  His hand slid up Will’s chest towards his neck to fiddle idly with Will’s cravat.  “You won’t require clothing tonight.  In fact, I would much rather you didn’t wear anything.  If you are so concerned about it, you may use my dressing gown in the morning.”

“Oh.  I see.”

“Our trip was interrupted, but I fully intend to enjoy my nights with you anyway,” Nico said, yanking in Will by his cravat to kiss him.

Nico led Will by the hand to his bedroom, clumsily stripped away Will’s clothes, and then laid Will out on his bed.  When they kissed, the world spun around them.  When Will called out his husband’s name, Nico answered him.  When Will whispered words of love, Nico whispered them back.

Later, when they were holding each other under the blankets, Will told Nico the story of how Octavian had tricked his father into taking him in as a ward and explained that the entire family had been relieved when Octavian became old enough for Apollo to kick him out of the Sun Palace.

“So now he’s living on his own, but he still sometimes drops by to bother the family,” Will said.  “And apparently he pays people to sleep with him.  He claims to have a harem of personal concubines who are desperate to please him.”

Nico snorted.  “Where does he get the money for this supposed harem?”

“My father gives him an allowance.  Octavian doesn’t spend it wisely.  Obviously the harem is either one of his usual fanciful fables or self-important delusions, but if he truly is paying people to sleep with him...I hope he’s being safe about it, at least.”

“Well, he can’t pay me enough to sleep with him,” Nico declared.  “Besides, your father has already paid me a nice dowry so that I might sleep with _you,_ and believe me, Will, I am quite happy to do so.”

*   *   *

That evening may have been a disaster, but thanks to Nico’s intervention, Octavian had been rendered harmless.  With his cousin confined to his chambers, the Palatium de Divitae was safe again.  Still, Will felt he ought to do his best to clean up after Octavian’s messes, so he did his best to undo the damage.  First thing in the morning, he checked to make sure that Octavian was still detained, then he apologized to the King and Queen consort for Octavian’s behavior.  When Reyna brought Will to the members of the staff who had reported Octavian’s attempts to seduce them, Will promised that they didn’t have to worry about Octavian bothering them any further.

“Thank you for your help this morning,” Will said as he and Reyna were on their way to Will and Nico’s chambers.  “I also I wanted to thank you for handling Octavian yesterday.  I understand how difficult it is to deal with him and I appreciate all your effort.”

“I was only fulfilling my duties, Your Highness,” Reyna said.  “Don’t worry over it too much; every family has a few odd ones.  However, I must say that he is a special breed of terrible and I’m disappointed I wasn’t there to see the Prince banish him from the country.”

Will opened his mouth to answer, then stopped when the form of address she had used sunk in.  “Your...Highness?” he repeated.

Reyna raised an eyebrow.  “Yes, Your Highness,” she said, opening the door to the common room Will shared with Nico.  “That would be the correct way to address you now that you’ve married into royalty.”

Will took the door and gestured for her to enter first.  “You don’t need to call me that!  I’m just a consor, really.  We’re both Venadi.  You can even call me ‘Will’ if you’d like.”

“That would be very impolite, Your Highness,” Reyna answered sternly.  Then the corner of her mouth quirked up and she quietly added, “But perhaps, occasionally, it would be alright in private.”

When Will’s family arrived later in the day, he hurried to meet them as their carriage rolled up to the Palatium de Divitae.  Kayla and Austin jumped out to greet him with tears of joy and suffocatingly tight hugs.  While Mellie and Hedge raced to embrace each other, Will’s family apologized profusely for having forgotten Octavian.  Half of Will had wondered if Lou Ellen and Michael had conspired to leave their cousin behind, but the entire family seemed horrified by their own mistake and felt guilty that Will’s marriage and relationship with the royal family had started out in such an unsettling way.  Will assured them that Octavian had been defeated and everything appeared to have worked out in the end.  He was even a little bit glad that he no longer had to keep the family pariah a secret.

Will hated to think that he’d have to say goodbye again so soon, but their fortune changed that evening after Hedge and Mellie confessed their love.  Hedge proposed marriage on the spot, lest they be separated again, and then Mellie informed Apollo that she would remain in Pluto rather than return to Diana with the family.  Apollo, who had always been weak for a good love story, started to cry when Mellie asked him to bless their marriage, and Will’s family decided to stay in Pluto another few weeks to attend their wedding.

The rest of their stay was a blur for Will.  His days were full of laughter and fun with his family while his nights were spent leisurely—and sometimes more passionately—loving his new husband.  Will’s family doted on Bonnie, Hedge was too busy planning his wedding to protect Nico’s already-sullied chastity, and Octavian remained stuck in his room.  On the few occasions that Octavian managed to escape confinement, the palace staff knew what to expect and was prepared to deal with him.  Nico handled Octavian particularly well, which quickly earned him the respect of Will’s family, and Bonnie even once bit him.  It was refreshing to see Octavian being put in his place in so many new and exciting ways.

Still, Octavian managed to be as annoying as ever.  Every time Will visited his family’s guest apartment, Octavian took the opportunity to talk about his inevitable passionate relationship with Will’s husband.

“You do recall that the Prince rejected you, don’t you?” Lee said one day.  He, Michael, Lou Ellen, and Will had been in the middle of a game of Quadratis when Octavian disturbed them to discuss his affair with Nico.

“Of course he reacted that way—he’s a Pluton!” Octavian said.  “It’s in their prudish nature to reject suitors the first few times they are approached.  I’m sure the Prince cries himself to sleep at night thinking about how those dreadful social conventions are keeping us apart.”

Will knew very well what Nico was doing at night rather than crying himself to sleep over Octavian, but he said nothing.

“He banished you from the country,” Michael said.  “Octavian.  He _banished_ you.”

“Well, of course!  He’s a prince, after all.  Courtly etiquette demands that he deliver the customary rejection to a magnitude befitting of his status.”

“Which, naturally, means that he should banish you from the country,” Lou Ellen surmised.

“Precisely.  I’m glad you finally understand.  Fortunately for him, I am clever enough to deduce his true intentions and I won’t give up so easily!  Will, do tell your husband that I’m doing everything I can to bring us together.  Ask him to be patient for me.”

When Will delivered the message later in the day, Nico didn’t seem quite as enthusiastic about the idea as Octavian.

All in all, Will was happy that his family was there to ease his transition to married life.  Still, by the time Hedge and Mellie’s wedding was over, Apollo was anxious to get back to Hyacinthus, the rest of the family was starting to feel homesick, and Will had grown so tired of their meddling that he was quite ready to see them leave.

A few tears were still shed when Will hugged them all goodbye, but the future seemed less frightening and uncertain than it had before.  Kayla would grow up in a loving home, Austin would have wonderful mentors to guide his journey into adulthood, and Michael had a network of support to help him manage his struggles.

With Mellie remaining in Pluto with him and Bonnie by his side, Will felt less alone.  Will and Mellie could reminisce about Will’s family and good Southern Juvian cuisine together.  With luck, Will’s friendship with Hedge’s new wife might contribute to Hedge’s slowly growing but begrudging approval of Will.

The change still frightened Will.  He was still facing a future of unknowns, he still worried about being so far from his family, and it still would take time for him to settle into the Palatium de Divitae.  But when Nico took Will’s hand as they watched the family carriage roll away, Will felt happy, excited, and even confident to create a new life with the person he loved.


End file.
